(Press-News.org) New research shows that human herpesviruses (HHV)-6B and HHV-7, commonly know as roseola virus), account for one third of febrile status epilepticus (FSE) cases. Results of the FEBSTAT prospective study now available in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), suggest that HHV-6B may be involved in the development of epilepsy and further research is urgently needed.
FEBSTAT is a multi-center study of the consequences of FSE, designed to identify the factors that increase the risk of injury to the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for long-term memory and implicated in the development of temporal lobe epilepsy. The FEBSTAT study is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
According to previous research, up to 5% of children under the age of five have febrile seizures, making it the most common type of seizure, with peak incidence at age 2. While brief or simple febrile seizures are most common, 5% - 8% of cases are prolonged and meet the criteria for status epilepticus (SE)—a critical condition where a persistent seizure lasts more than 30 minutes. Experts suggest that FSE accounts for 5% of FS; however, FSE accounts for 25% of all childhood SE and for more than 70% of SE cases that occur in the second year of life. FSE is associated with increased epilepsy risk, particularly temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
"One aim of the FEBSTAT study is to determine the frequency of HHV-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7 as a cause of FSE and whether infection with any of these herpesviruses increases the risk of brain injury and epilepsy," said lead author Dr. Leon Epstein a, pediatric neurologist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
The team enrolled 199 children between the ages of 1 month and 5 years, who presented with FSE and received an assessment for herpesvirus infection within 72 hours of the episode. Viremia was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that identified the presence of HHV-6A, HHV-6B or HHV-7A DNA and RNA. In conjunction with PCR results, researchers used antibody titers to determine if the infection was a primary or reactivated herpesvirus.
Findings indicate that approximately one third of children with FSE had HHV-6 or HHV-7 viremia. HHV-6B viremia was detected in 32% of pediatric participants, with 38 and 16 children having primary and reactivated infection, respectively. Researchers found that 7% of children had HHV-7 viremia at baseline and 2 children had HHV-6/7 primary co-infection. There were no apparent differences in age, illness type, fever, seizure structures, or acute imagining abnormalities in children with or without one of the herpesviruses.
FEBSTAT researchers will continue to follow the 199 children involved in the study, expecting up to 40% of this pediatric population to develop TLE. The FEBSTAT study will determine whether there is an association between prolonged febrile seizures caused by HHV-6B viremia and the development of TLE. The current study adds to evidence from previous research by Donati et al. and by Fotheringham et al who detected HHV-6 in brain samples of patients with TLE.
"TLE could take 8 to 11 years to develop following an episode of FSE, so more time is needed before the role of HHV-6B is fully understood," concludes Dr. Epstein. "If the FEBSTAT study finds that FSE caused by HHV-6B leads to TLE, this insight would provide a basis for clinical trials of antiviral and anti-inflammatory therapies to prevent TLE."
INFORMATION:
This study is published in Epilepsia. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact healthnews@wiley.com.
Full citation: "Human herpesvirus 6 and 7 in febrile status epilepticus: The FEBSTAT study." Leon G. Epstein, Shlomo Shinnar, Dale C. Hesdorffer, Douglas R. Nordli, Aaliyah Hamidullah, Emma K. T. Benn, John M. Pellock, L. Matthew Frank, Darrell V Lewis, Solomon L. Moshe, Ruth C. Shinnar, Shumei Sun and the FEBSTAT study team. Epilepsia; Published Online: June 14, 2012 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03542.x).
URL upon publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/j.1528-1167.2012.03542.x
Author contact: Media wishing to speak with Dr. Epstein may contact Julie Pesch with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago at jpesch@luriechildrens.org or at 312-227-4261.
Epilepsia is the leading, most authoritative source for current clinical and research results on all aspects of epilepsy. As the journal of the International League Against Epilepsy, subscribers every month will review scientific evidence and clinical methodology in: clinical neurology, neurophysiology, molecular biology, neuroimaging, neurochemistry, neurosurgery, pharmacology, neuroepidemiology, and therapeutic trials. For more information, please visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1528-1167.
The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) is the world's preeminent association of physicians and health professionals working toward a world where no person's life is limited by epilepsy. Since 1909 the ILAE has provided educational and research resources that are essential in understanding, diagnosing and treating persons with epilepsy. The ILAE supports health professionals, patients, and their care providers, governments, and the general public worldwide by advancing knowledge of epilepsy.
Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.
END
American mountain lions, or cougars, are re-emerging in areas of the United States, reversing 100 years of decline. The evidence, published in The Journal of Wildlife Management, raises new conservation questions, such as how humans can live alongside the returning predators.
"The cougar population declined dramatically from 1900, due to both hunting, and a lack of prey, leaving the remaining population isolated to the American west," said Michelle LaRue from the University of Minnesota. "Here we present the hard evidence that the western population has spread, with cougar ...
This series of 9 interactive iBooks are great tools to suppport the blended and digital learning methods that schools are adopting.
The interactive iBooks are available for the iPad and contain interactive elements, tutorials, educational resources, web 2.0 tools, lesson suggestions and tips for integrating blended learning into any learning management system or educational portal.
Author: Ryan Macdonald is a trainer, online course developer and ePublisher.
www.mmcid.com
iBook Titles:
1. Itslearning Teacher Training
2. Blended Learning: Tricks and Tips ...
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Childhood obesity has increased dramatically throughout the past 40 years and has been tied to many health problems. Now, a University of Missouri researcher has found that children's weight is associated with their math performance.
"The findings illustrate the complex relationships among children's weight, social and emotional well-being, academics and time," said Sara Gable, associate professor in the MU Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, who led the study.
Gable looked at more than 6,250 children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal ...
A team of researchers has developed a new microscope that can image the elemental and magnetic properties of a wide range of energy-important materials that are used in devices such as solar cells and solid-state lighting. The imager is based on a technique known as X-ray excited luminescence microscopy (XELM). It was created by hitching a standard optical microscope to a synchrotron X-ray source. Synchrotrons produce X-rays and other forms of electromagnetic radiation by sending electrons on a curved path at nearly the speed of light. When the X-rays strike the material ...
With Flood wood care, staining a deck is always easy, but for one lucky homeowner there's only one step: enjoy!
Flood wood care, a leading brand of specialty wood stains, is giving away the product and labor for a deck staining, as well as a backyard party.
The giveaway is part of the Take-It-Easy Sweepstakes, and homeowners can enter online through July 15 at www.Flood.com.
"The Take-It-Easy Sweepstakes emphasizes our commitment to helping homeowners enhance and enjoy their outdoor space," said Nathalie Lambert, brand manager for AkzoNobel's portfolio ...
Chinese researchers have succeeded in transferring gallium nitride (GaN) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on a layer of silicon to a layer of copper. The new copper substrate enabled the GaN crystals to release some of the internal stresses generated when they originally formed. This relaxation helped minimize the so-called "quantum confined stark effect," a vexing problem for LEDs that reduces their efficiency. In comparison with LEDs on silicon substrates, the light output of LEDs on copper was enhanced by 122 percent. The relocation of the LEDs produced no obvious ...
Gallium nitride (GaN) is a highly promising material for a wide range of optical and high-power electronic devices, which can be fabricated by dry etching with plasmas. However, the plasma-induced defects and surface residues that remain after such processes tend to degrade the optical and electrical properties of the devices. A team of Japanese researchers has developed and tested a new way to "heal" such defects. The team exposed plasma-damaged GaN to hydrogen (H) radicals at room temperature. After testing various doses of H radicals, the researchers evaluated the optical ...
Breast cancer cells frequently move from their primary site and invade bone, decreasing a patient's chance of survival. This process of metastasis is complex, and factors both within the breast cancer cells and within the new bone environment play a role. In next week's Journal of Biological Chemistry "Paper of the Week," Roger Gomis and colleagues at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Spain investigated how breast cancer cells migrate to bone.
In particular, they examined the role of NOG, a gene important to proper bone development. Previously, NOG was associated ...
President of Rocky Mountain Health Brokers, Denver Health Insurance Broker, Eric Smith reached the GOLD status for Premier Partners with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. He has not stopped there. Already for 2012, Eric has surpassed his production for all of 2011 and is currently ranked the #3 broker in the entire state of Colorado.
Eric has a unique blend of skills to offer his clients. "I always do what is best for my clients."
He is committed and dedicated to finding affordable plans for his clients' needs. He offers a wide variety of health insurance ...
Molloy Bros. Moving and Storage, an agent for Mayflower, is now offering portable moving and storage containers to its customers in the tri-state area. As a dealer for Mayflower containers, Molloy Bros. will now be able to offer its customers a full range of moving services from do-it-yourself to full-service.
This new service allows customers to schedule a container delivery to their home or business. They can pack and load at their own pace, and moving professionals will pick up the container and deliver it to the customer's new home or to storage. This is a great ...
