Neuroinflammation in Epilepsy—Diagnostics and Therapeutic Perspectives

Epilepsy is a neurological disease that affects approximately 1% of the world’s population. Epilepsy is characterized by the occurrence of repeated epileptic seizures due to abnormal neuronal activity. Although this disorder is currently incurable, it can be controlled for years with the appropriate therapy and patient adherence. Inflammation is an organism’s natural response to a pathological stimulus, aimed at eliminating the triggering factor. Multiple studies point out a significant correlation between an increased level of inflammatory mediators and the frequency of epileptic seizures. Increased levels of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were found in the serum of patients with epilepsy. Additionally, pro-inflammatory cytokines were found to be upregulated during epileptic activity in rodents: CCL2 and CCR2 receptor expression was shown to be upregulated during inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide administration, and CXCR5 was found to be primarily upregulated in brain cells. Early detection of the described factors may serve as a biomarker for epilepsy but also hold potential in developing novel immunomodulating therapies. Thus, a better understanding of the immune system’s involvement is necessary for the development of new therapeutic perspectives in epilepsy.