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Updated: Dec 6, 2025
Lipidomics and Transcriptomics in Neurological Diseases
Published on: March 18, 2022
Acute Phase Serum Leptin, Adiponectin, Interleukin-6, and Visfatin Are Altered in Chinese Children With Febrile
Jie-Ru Chen1,2, Mei-Fang Jin1, Ling Tang2
1Division of Brain Science, Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Insights
Higher levels of adiponectin and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with febrile seizures (FS) in children. These adipokines may serve as biomarkers for early FS diagnosis and management.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pediatric Neurology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Adipokines, such as leptin, visfatin, adiponectin, and IL-6, are implicated in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and febrile seizures (FS).
- Understanding the role of these adipokines in FS prognosis is crucial for developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between plasma adipokine levels (leptin, visfatin, adiponectin, IL-6) and the prognosis of FS in children.
- To identify potential biomarkers for early detection and management of FS.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cross-sectional study involving 55 children with FS, 42 febrile children without seizures (FC), and 48 healthy children (HC).
- Serum levels of leptin, visfatin, adiponectin, and IL-6 were measured during the acute phase.
- Logistic regression analysis was used to determine correlations with clinical indicators.
Main Results:
- Serum adiponectin and IL-6 levels were significantly elevated in the FS group compared to FC and HC groups (p < 0.05).
- High concentrations of adiponectin and IL-6 were significantly associated with FS occurrence.
- Leptin and visfatin levels were lower in FS and FC groups than in controls, with no significant difference between FS and FC groups.
Conclusions:
- Elevated plasma IL-6 and adiponectin levels may serve as additional biomarkers for early treatment or follow-up in children with FS.
- These findings contribute to understanding the role of adipokines in FS pathogenesis and prognosis.
Abstract:
Adipokines, including leptin, visfatin, adiponectin, and interleukin-6 (IL)-6, play multiple roles in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and febrile seizures (FS). We aimed to investigate the associations among plasma adipokines, mainly leptin, visfatin, adiponectin, or IL-6, and the prognosis of FS. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2017 to December 2018 at the Wuxi Second People' Hospital China. The levels of serum leptin, visfatin, adiponectin, and IL-6 in 55 children with FS (FS group) were compared with 42 febrile children without seizure (FC group) and 48 healthy children (HC group) in an acute phase. The correlation with clinical indicators was determined by logistic regression analysis. Serum adiponectin and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the FS group than in the FC and HC groups (p < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference between the FC and HC groups. In addition, logistic regression analysis showed that high concentrations of adiponectin and IL-6 were significantly associated with the occurrence of FS. For leptin and visfatin, they were significantly lower in the FS and FC groups than in the normal control group, but there was no statistical difference between the FS and FC groups. Our results suggest that higher plasma levels of IL-6 and adiponectin may serve as an additional biomarker in the early treatment or follow-up of the FS children.
