[Cytokines as a marker of the different paroxysmal sleep events in children].

BACKGROUND

Parasomnias in children manifest by unwanted behavior and various clinical picture. These disorders are associated with different sleep phases (REM, NREM) and sometimes threaten safety of children's sleep. They require differentiation with epileptic seizures because about 30% of epileptic seizures is associated with sleep. Some cytokines serum concentration changes were observed in sleep disturbances.

OBJECTIVE

The search for peripheral markers of paroxysmal sleep disorders in children, which would be more simple method for differentiating between parasomnias and epileptic seizures.

METHODS

The study included 21 hospitalized children (17 with epilepsy and 4 with parasomnias) at the age range from 2 months to 14 years. Their 2,5-hour sleep was recorded with videoelectroencephalography. Blood samples were taken two times (before sleep and up to 30 minutes after seizure occurrence or after 2,5-hour registration without seizure). Cytokine concentration (IL-6 and IL-8) was determined in these samples. Statistical analysis of the obtained results was performed.

RESULTS

The arithmetic means of both cytokine concentrations did not differ significantly between both examined groups of children, before and after videoEEG performance. Statistically significant differences of mean cytokine concentrations were also not found in children from both groups, between samples after sleep registration and before videoEEG. Comparison of the arithmetic means of IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations after calculating all values before videoEEG and after sleep registration was also performed in children with epilepsy and parasomnias altogether. Similarly, these values did not differ significantly. Comparison of the means of all concentrations of both cytokines between groups of children with epilepsy and parasomnias was performed and also did not differ significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

IL-6 as well as IL-8 concentrations can not have practical use in diagnostics of children's paroxysmal sleep disorders because they do not differentiate basic types of these disorders such as epilepsy and parasomnias.