title: Transient elevation of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor levels in cerebrospinal fluid at the initial stage of aseptic meningitis in children.
abstract: At the early stage of aseptic meningitis, there is a transient increase in neutrophil counts in the cerebrospinal fluid. Some factors in the cerebrospinal fluid might induce migration of neutrophils into the cerebrospinal fluid. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) plays an important role, not only as a hemopoietic factor but also as a regulating factor for a biologic defense system by neutrophils in the foci of infection. To analyze the role of G-CSF on accumulating neutrophils in the cerebrospinal fluid, we have measured G-CSF levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with aseptic meningitis, paying particular attention to the phasal transition. Within the first 2 d from the onset, G-CSF levels in the cerebrospinal fluid were 223 +/- 97 ng/L, significantly higher than those of the patients without meningitis (p < 0.01). Beyond the second day after the onset, the G-CSF levels rapidly decreased to below the detectable level, even though the patients manifested meningeal signs and symptoms. There was a direct relationship between G-CSF levels and neutrophil counts in the cerebrospinal fluid (r = 0.763, p < 0.01). During the first 2 d after the onset, the G-CSF level in the cerebrospinal fluid in each case was remarkably higher than that in the serum. This finding suggests that the G-CSF in the cerebrospinal fluid was produced in the spinal cavity. From our results, the transient elevation of G-CSF levels might lead to the transient increase in neutrophil counts in the cerebrospinal fluid by recruiting them from the peripheral blood at the initial stage of aseptic meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Mizonokuchi Hospital, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ishiguro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimbo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000145:classification; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004457:Echovirus Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D029822:Enterovirus B, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000821:virology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology; D014709:Vero Cells; D014776:Virus Cultivation
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor