title: Study of brain and vascular plexus gangliosides in meningoencephalitis of various etiology.
abstract: The content of brain and vascular plexus gangliosides and their composition have been studied in 15 cases of meningoencephalitis of various etiology and degree of disease. The most pronounced decrease of ganglioside concentration was found in brain of children, who died from herpes virus infection. Decrease of ganglioside content was revealed in brain grey matter of patients with influenza virus or meningococcus infection, but not in cases of mycoplasma infection. These data provide evidence of nerve cell destruction due to meningoencephalitis of various etiology. The biochemical data obtained are in good agreement with the results of the brain of children infection by herpes virus (increase of GD1b content in grey matter). Ganglioside content in vascular plexes of patients with meningoencephalitis was found to be, on the contrary, much higher (ca 4 times) than in the controls. The higher the lesion of choroid plexes in meningoencephalitis is, the higher the ganglioside content in them is.
authors.affiliation: I. M. Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, U.S.S.R. Academy of Science, Leningrad.
authors.forename: O B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Karpova
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Zinserling
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Avrova
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000032:analysis*; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D012016:Reference Values; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; D012794:Sialic Acids; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid