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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In a recent article, Aarli¹ discussed evidence that immune mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of some forms of epilepsy. The article focused on possible antibody-mediated effects in epilepsy. We'd like to remind readers of yet another possible way that the immune system is involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy.

Cytokines are a heterogeneous group of polypeptide mediators associated classically with activation of the immune system and inflammatory responses, but they also exert diverse actions on the peripheral and central nervous system. A growing amount of experimental and clinical evidence suggests that cytokines are also involved in epilepsy as disease-modifying molecules. Experimental studies suggest that interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) prolongs the duration of kainic acid–induced seizures and seems to promote neuronal damage,² whereas its effects are blocked by an IL-1 receptor antagonist³ (IL-1RA). Kainic acid causes cellular damage in the hippocampus, and cytokine expression may reflect this neural injury.

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