Bartolini L, Moran MP, Norato G, et al. - The researchers conducted this cross-sectional study to examine inflammatory cytokines in plasma and saliva from children with seizures and healthy controls, as well as their associations with HHV6 and EBV infection. Using a multiplex immunoassay, they examined plasma from 36 children within 24 hours of seizures (cases) and 43 healthy controls, as well as saliva from 44 cases and 44 controls. In addition, saliva from all controls and 65 cases and blood from 26 controls and 35 cases were analyzed by PCR for viral DNA. Patients had higher levels of CCL11, CCL26, IL10, IL6, IL8, and MIP1β compared with controls. There was no association between plasma and saliva cytokine levels. The detection of HHV-6 and EBV was consistent across groups and did not differ from controls. There was no link established between viral load and cytokine levels. In plasma from distinct seizure etiologies, they found differential activation of neuroinflammatory pathways compared with controls, which was unrelated to viral infection.