PMID- 8906369
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19970206
LR  - 20190920
IS  - 0256-7040 (Print)
IS  - 0256-7040 (Linking)
VI  - 12
IP  - 9
DP  - 1996 Sep
TI  - A study of childhood febrile convulsions with particular reference to HHV-6 
      infection: pathogenic considerations.
PG  - 534-9
AB  - Most febrile convulsions (FC) in infants occur during a viral infection, 
      particularly in children of less than 3 years of age; human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) 
      has an important pathogenic role. To evaluate the link between this and other 
      viruses and FC, a group of 65 children (mean age 18.46 months, SD +/- 9.19) with 
      a first episode of simple FC (G1) was compared with 24 children (mean age 19.29 
      months, SD +/- 13.17) with a febrile syndrome but without FC (G2). Virological 
      study showed the following infections: HHV-6 in 23/65 of G1 and in 12/24 of G2, 
      adenoviruses (ADV) in 9/65 of G1 and in 0/24 of G2, syncytial respiratory virus 
      (SRV) in 3/28 of G1 and in 0/2 of G2, HSV-1 in 6/65 of G1 and in 1/24 of G2, 
      cytomegalovirus (CMV) in 2/65 of G1 and in 0/24 of G2 and HHV-7 in 1/42 of G1 and 
      in 1/13 of G2. Children in G1, statistically compared with G2, were significantly 
      more likely to have a family history of FC and circulating granulocytes, while 
      IgM and alpha 2-globulin were less probable. Some cytokines (IL 1 beta, TNF beta 
      and GM-CSF) were found in 24 children in G1 and 12 in G2; no differences were 
      found between the two groups. In the light of our data and of the recent 
      literature, the possibility that the cytokines may act on the nervous system 
      cannot be excluded. Among the HHV-6-infected children, those suffering from 
      convulsions were statistically more likely to have a family history of FC and 
      IgM, while IgA were less likely. In G1, 57 cases were followed up over 2 years: 9 
      of them had a second episode of FC. Virological diagnosis at the first episode of 
      FC revealed HHV-6 infection in 3 cases, 2 of these being due to viral 
      reactivation. We underline the important role of HHV-6 infection in FC and 
      postulate a relationship between family history and the immunity of the patient; 
      this is confirmed by the loss of statistical significance in the reduction of IgM 
      in G1 compared with G2 with no family history of FC. The reactivation of FC by 
      HHV-6 is a possibility to be borne in mind; an increased number of cases would be 
      needed to confirm this hypothesis.
FAU - Bertolani, M F
AU  - Bertolani MF
AD  - Gynecological, Obstetrical and Pediatric Sciences Department, University of 
      Modena, Italy.
FAU - Portolani, M
AU  - Portolani M
FAU - Marotti, F
AU  - Marotti F
FAU - Sabbattini, A M
AU  - Sabbattini AM
FAU - Chiossi, C
AU  - Chiossi C
FAU - Bandieri, M R
AU  - Bandieri MR
FAU - Cavazzuti, G B
AU  - Cavazzuti GB
LA  - eng
PT  - Clinical Trial
PT  - Controlled Clinical Trial
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Germany
TA  - Childs Nerv Syst
JT  - Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for 
      Pediatric Neurosurgery
JID - 8503227
RN  - 0 (Cytokines)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adenovirus Infections, Human/complications
MH  - Child, Preschool
MH  - Cytokines/blood
MH  - Cytomegalovirus Infections/complications
MH  - Female
MH  - Herpesviridae Infections/blood/*complications
MH  - Herpesvirus 6, Human/*isolation & purification
MH  - Herpesvirus 7, Human/isolation & purification
MH  - Humans
MH  - Incidence
MH  - Infant
MH  - Male
MH  - Recurrence
MH  - Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections/complications
MH  - Seizures, Febrile/classification/*etiology
MH  - Virus Diseases/blood/*complications/epidemiology
EDAT- 1996/09/01 00:00
MHDA- 1996/09/01 00:01
CRDT- 1996/09/01 00:00
PHST- 1996/09/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1996/09/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1996/09/01 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1007/BF00261607 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Childs Nerv Syst. 1996 Sep;12(9):534-9. doi: 10.1007/BF00261607.