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Determining Pro-oxidant Antioxidant Balance in Febrile Children With and Without Seizure: A Comparative Study
Mohammad Salari Zare1, Mehran Mir2, Saeideh Sadat Shobeiri3
1Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
Insights
Febrile seizures (FS) in children are linked to higher oxidative stress. Lower serum antioxidant levels may increase the risk of FS in febrile children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Febrile seizures (FS) are common in children aged 6-60 months with fever (≥38°C).
- Oxidative stress is implicated in neurodegenerative conditions.
- The role of oxidative stress in FS requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in febrile children with and without febrile seizures.
- To assess the relationship between oxidative stress markers and the occurrence of febrile seizures.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study conducted at Heshmatieh Hospital (March 2020-March 2021).
- Included 40 febrile children with FS and 40 febrile children without FS (temperature ≥38°C).
- Measured serum PAB levels using a specialized assay and expressed results in HK units.
Main Results:
- The FS group exhibited a significantly higher mean serum PAB level (180.43±9.28 HK units) compared to the febrile-only group (131.83±17.73 HK units) (P<0.05).
- This indicates a greater level of oxidative stress in children experiencing febrile seizures.
- Elevated PAB suggests an imbalance favoring pro-oxidants over antioxidants.
Conclusions:
- Children with febrile seizures demonstrate increased oxidative stress.
- Serum antioxidant status may play a role in determining seizure risk in febrile children.
- Further research into antioxidant therapies for preventing febrile seizures is warranted.
Introduction:
A benign condition known as a febrile seizure (FS) occurs between the ages of six and 60 months when the patient has a fever of at least 38 °C, is not suffering from a central nervous system (CNS) infection or metabolic disorder, and has no prior history of FSs. Oxidative stress is thought to contribute to the emergence of several neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in febrile children with and without seizures.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted at Heshmatieh Hospital, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, between March 2020 and March 2021. Forty febrile children with a temperature of 38 °C and above (F) and 40 febrile children who experienced FS were included in the study. Blood samples were collected from all patients. PAB was evaluated using a special PAB assay. The pro-oxidant-antioxidant ratio values were expressed in HK units.
Results:
The HK variable in the FS group was 180.43±9.28 and 131.83±17.73 in the F group. The FS group had a higher mean serum level of PAB than the F group (P<0.05), indicating that the level of oxidative stress in patients with FSs was higher than in febrile patients without seizures.
Conclusion:
Serum antioxidant levels appear to interiorize the risk of seizures in febrile children.
