Increased interleukin-1 (IL-1) production from LPS-stimulated peripheral blood monocytes in children with febrile convulsions.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from 27 children with a febrile convulsion were tested for production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in culture. MNC stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed a significantly increased production of IL-1 when compared to MNC from children without convulsions but with bacterial infections (p less than 0.001), viral infections (p less than 0.005) or no infection (p less than 0.005). Children who had experienced a febrile convulsion were retested several months later; this time the IL-1 production from LPS-stimulated MNC was not different from controls. These results demonstrate that MNC at the time of febrile convulsions have increased sensitivity to LPS and possibly to other IL-1 inducers; the resulting enhanced IL-1 response from sensitized MNC may have a role in the pathogenesis of febrile convulsions.