Aslı AKAN, Sait AÇIK, Banu Güzel NUR, Şenay HASPOLAT
The Journal of Pediatric Research - 2026;13(2):116-121
Aim: The etiology of febrile seizures (FS) is multifactorial, including genetic, immunological, and inflammatory components. The primary objective of this research was to assess the relationship between IL-1beta (-511) and IL-10 (-1082 ) gene polymorphisms and the likelihood of recurrent FS and subsequent epilepsy in pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed data from 44 patients diagnosed with FS. We employed restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and amplification refractory mutation system-PCR techniques in order to detect genetic variations in the IL-1 beta (-511) and IL-10 (-1082) loci. The study population underwent long-term follow-up for an average of 13+/-5 years to evaluate the correlations between these polymorphisms and clinical prognoses, specifically FS recurrence and the onset of epilepsy. Results: In the IL-1 beta (-511) region, no significant association was found between G/A, A/A, or G/G polymorphisms and FS recurrence (p=0.131) or epilepsy development (p=0.407). Likewise, the G allele at the IL-10 (-1082) position showed no meaningful correlation with epilepsy risk (p=0.378). However, the presence of the A allele at the locus in question was found to be significantly associated with the development of epilepsy (p=0.002). Carriers of the A allele exhibited a 10.8-fold increased risk of epilepsy compared to non-carriers (odds ratio=10.8; 95% confidence interval: 2.04-57). Conclusion: Our data indicate that the IL-10 (-1082) A allele serves as a significant predictor for epilepsy susceptibility after FS. These results highlight the potential role of cytokine gene variations, especially IL-10, in determining the long-term neurological prognosis of children with FS.
