Comparison of the serum cytokine levels before and after adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy in patients with infantile spasm

PURPOSE Infantile spasm is an age-dependent epileptic syndrome seen in infancy or early childhood. Although studies have investigated the epilepsy-cytokine relationship, there has been insufficient research into the relation between cytokines and infantile spasm. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of infantile spasm by investigating cytokine levels before and 1month after adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy in patients diagnosed with the condition. METHOD Twenty patients aged between 1month and 2years and diagnosed with infantile spasm at the Karadeniz Technical University Medical Faculty Department of Child Health and Diseases Pediatric Neurology Clinic, Turkey, and 20 healthy children were included in the study. Patients received 11 doses of ACTH on 2days a week. Levels of TNF-alpha and IL-2, the main cytokines involved in inflammation and recently associated with infantile spasm, and of IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-17A, associated with epileptic seizures, and serum levels of the IL-17A activator IL-23 were investigated in all patients at the start of treatment and 1month after completion of treatment. RESULTS No statistically significant difference was observed between pre- and post-treatment patient group and control group IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-23 or TNF-alpha levels. Pre-treatment IL-6 and IL-17A levels were significantly higher in the untreated patient group compared to the healthy control group (p<0.001 and p=0.002). CONCLUSION Our study supports the recent idea that IL-6 and IL-17A are cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of infantile spasm.