CEREBROSPINAL FLUID CYTOKINES IN CHlLDREN WITH MENINGITIS

Abstract

Acute cerebrospinal meningitis remains a major problem in the developing counteries, unless an early reliable diagnosis and proper therapy are instituted, Mortality and long term neurological sequelae may occur.

The aim of this study is to test the reliability ofboth CSF IL-6 and IL-8 in early diagnosis of meningitis and in differentiation between its septic, tuberculous and other aseptic types.

This work was carried out on seventy infants and children (4lmales and 29 females) recruited from Benha Fever Hospital during the period from June, 1997 till May, 1999. Their ages ranged from three -- and half months to twelve years. Fifteen cases out of this total number of

cases c:;-"r•;i: ;, ;:2:Jhad proved to be free of meningitis by CSF examination and were served as a control group for both IL-6 and IL-8 level and other criteria of diagnosis. The remaining patients were divided according to the results of CSF examination into another four groups; a group of septic meningitis with positive CSF bacterial culture (n=18), a group of septic meningitis with negative CSF bacterial culture (n= 21), a group of tuberculous meningitis (n=6) and a group of aseptic non-tuberculous meningitis (n=10).