Interferon-gamma in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with viral and bacterial meningitis.
Interferon (IFN)-gamma was analysed immunologically in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sampled in the acute phase from 27 patients (15-66 years) with viral meningitis and from 18 patients (0.5-90 years) with bacterial meningitis. Increased CSF concentrations were observed in 19/27 viral and in 13/18 bacterial cases. CSF-IFN-gamma did not distinguish between viral and bacterial meningitis. Five of 8 patients with meningitis due to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) had CSF-IFN-gamma levels above the highest found in enteroviral meningitis. Thus, a markedly increased CSF-IFN-gamma value in patients with suspected viral meningitis ought to indicate HSV-2 etiology. The patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis (6 adults and 1 child) had significantly higher levels than the 7 children with Haemophilus influenzae meningitis. This may indicate that S. pneumoniae induces more IFN-gamma secretion than H. influenzae, and/or that during meningitis, adults are more apt to react with IFN-gamma production, than are children.
Department of Infectious Diseases, Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
M
M
Glimåker
P
P
Olcén
B
B
Andersson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial; D008587:Meningitis, Viral; D008875:Middle Aged
D007371:Interferon-gamma