title: Cerebrospinal fluid N-acetyl neuraminic acid estimation for early diagnosis and differentiation of bacterial meningitis.
abstract: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis for free, bound and total N-Acetyl Neuraminic Acid (NANA) as well as serum NANA was done in 68 patients of bacterial meningitis, of which 37 cases were of pyrogenic meningitis and 31 of tuberculous meningitis. Ten patients were included in the control group. The free NANA levels were increased in only pyogenic meningitis, independent of protein levels but the bound form increased with the increase in CSF proteins. The increase of free NANA in CSF of pyogenic meningitis patients was not related to the cell count or sugar content in CSF or to the duration or severity of illness. This finding can be of great help in differentiating cases of pyogenic meningitis, particularly partially treated patients, who may have ambiguous pictures of CSF analysis, from the cases of tuberculous meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Biochemistry, Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darbari
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Bhandari
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bhambal
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008581:Meningitis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D012016:Reference Values; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D013997:Time Factors; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D012794:Sialic Acids; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid