title: Interleukin 6 activity in infants and children with bacterial meningitis. The Collaborative Study on Meningitis.
abstract: Concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of infants and children with bacterial meningitis were determined and correlations were sought with other indices of inflammation and with outcome. Forty-two patients ages 1 month to 15 years (mean, 2.5 years) were studied. IL-6 activity was detectable (greater than 50 units/ml) in 30 of 36 CSF samples collected at admission from patients with meningitis and in 1 of 23 controls with fever and normal CSF findings. Mean values were 36,000 units/ml (range, 151-156,000). IL-6 activity in CSF persisted during the first 5 days of illness. IL-6 concentrations at admission were not associated with clinical findings, CSF leukocyte, protein and glucose concentrations, serum C-reactive protein concentration and neurologic complications or sequelae. IL-6 was also detected in the serum of 3 of 14 patients with meningitis and in 0 of 7 controls with no infectious disease. The presence of IL-6 was not associated with bacteremia or with duration of fever before admission. The presence of IL-6 in the CSF of pediatric patients with bacterial meningitis is in accordance with available data on other cytokines and suggests their role as mediators of meningeal inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics II, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rusconi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parizzi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Garlaschi
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Assael
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sironi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mantovani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005947:Glucose