Diagnostic Value of IL-4, IL-10, and Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio in Febrile Seizures During Viral Epidemic Period

Abstract

This report aimed to analyze the potential effects of cytokines and neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR) on the occurrence of febrile seizures (FS) in children during the epidemic of novel coronavirus and influenza virus. Between July 2022 and April 2023, clinical data of 422 children with FS hospitalized in the Pediatrics, Shaoxing People's Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University, during the epidemic and non-epidemic periods of novel coronavirus and influenza virus were analyzed. By comparing the various clinical characteristics of children with FS at different periods, comparison of variations in peripheral blood cell count, neutrophils, lymphocytes, hypersensitive C-creation protein, NLR, and inflammatory cytokines. Among 422 cases, 130 cases were classified as complex FS (CFS), while 292 cases of simple FS (SFS) were identified. During the time of the viral epidemic, 315 FS cases were observed, among which the incidence of CFS was 33.65%. In the non-viral epidemic period, there were 105 cases of FS. The incidence of CFS accounted for 22.86%. In addition, the levels of IL-4, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in children in the viral epidemic period were significantly higher than those in the non-epidemic period (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis revealed that during the epidemic period, NLR (AUC = 0.724), IL-4 (AUC = 0.826), and IL-10 (AUC = 0.688) exhibited high predictive value for CFS children, and the indexes were statistically significant (P < 0.05). This study suggests that IL-4, IL-10, and NLR may play an important role in the pathogenesis of children with FS, especially those with CFS.

Keywords: Children; Complex febrile seizures; Interleukin; Neutrophils/lymphocyte ratio; Viral epidemic.