Chen XM, Zhang S, Gao SQ, Xu M. Interleukin-6 in epilepsy and its neuropsychiatric comorbidities: How to bridge the gap. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(1): 100297 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i1.100297]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Shuo Zhang, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China. flybird31025@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychology, Clinical
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. Jan 19, 2025; 15(1): 100297 Published online Jan 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i1.100297
Interleukin-6 in epilepsy and its neuropsychiatric comorbidities: How to bridge the gap
Xiao-Man Chen, Shuo Zhang, Shi-Qi Gao, Michael Xu
Xiao-Man Chen, Shuo Zhang, Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China
Shi-Qi Gao, Department of Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China
Michael Xu, International Education School, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China
Author contributions: Zhang S and Chen XM conceived and designed the editorial, wrote the paper; Zhang S and Xu M reviewed and edited the manuscript; Chen XM, Zhang S, Gao SQ and Xu M revised the paper; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Shuo Zhang, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, No. 36 Sanhao Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110004, Liaoning Province, China. flybird31025@163.com
Received: August 12, 2024 Revised: October 31, 2024 Accepted: November 21, 2024 Published online: January 19, 2025 Processing time: 127 Days and 9.5 Hours
Abstract
There is growing evidence that interleukin (IL)-6 plays an important role in neurological and psychiatric disorders. This editorial comments on the study published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Psychiatry, which employed Mendelian randomization to identify a causal relationship between IL-6 receptor blockade and decreased epilepsy incidence. The purpose of this editorial is to highlight the dual effects of IL-6 in epilepsy and its related neuropsychiatric comorbidities. IL-6 plays a critical role in the facilitation of epileptogenesis and maintenance of epileptic seizures and is implicated in neuroinflammatory processes associated with epilepsy. Furthermore, IL-6 significantly influences mood regulation and cognitive dysfunction in patients with epilepsy, highlighting its involvement in neuropsychiatric comorbidities. In summary, IL-6 is not only a pivotal factor in the pathogenesis of epilepsy but also significantly contributes to the emergence of epilepsy-related neuropsychiatric complications. Future research should prioritize elucidating the specific mechanisms by which IL-6 operates across different subtypes, stages and neuropsychiatric comorbidities of epilepsy, with the aim of developing more precise and effective interventions. Furthermore, the potential of IL-6 as a biomarker for the early diagnosis and prognosis of epilepsy warrants further investigation.
Core Tip: Interleukin (IL)-6 homeostasis is crucial in the pathophysiology of epilepsy and its associated neuropsychiatric comorbidities, suggesting its potential utility as a biomarker for disease activity. Therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting IL-6 signaling through receptor blockade represent a novel and promising approach for treating epilepsy and its neuropsychiatric manifestations. Elucidating the mechanisms by which IL-6 modulates epilepsy and its neuropsychiatric comorbidities can provide valuable insights into potential therapeutic targets, thereby enhancing patient outcomes.
