Cytokines in cerebrospinal fluid in the case of meningitis in children
The aim: is to investigate pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with meningitis of different aetiology in the dynamics of the disease. Materials and methods: there were examined 93 children: 29 of them had bacterial purulent meningitis, 42 ones - serous meningitis, and 22 - an acute respiratory viral infection of meningeal symptomatology (control group). The design of the investigation is an open comparative research. The concentration of proinflammatory (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) and anti-inflammatory (IL-4, IL-10) cytokines was defined by the solid-phase immune-enzyme assay. The results were processed statistically by computer standard programs Excel and Statistica 7. Results and discussion: different levels of the cytokine concentration increase were detected in the acute period of the disease, the maximal one - in the case of bacterial purulent meningitis, IL-6 and IL-10 in particular. The concentration of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-4, IL-10 was significantly increased to compare with serous meningitis. The decrease of cytokine level was detected in the period of reconvalescence. Conclusion: the cytokine concentration increase in the cerebrospinal fluid in the acute stage of bacterial purulent and serous meningitis indicates both the presence of common patterns of neuroinfectious process and the features caused by the agent, and their increase in the stage of reconvalescense demonstrates the remaining intrathecal inflammation.