title: Immune-mediated injury in bacterial meningitis.
abstract: Cytokines are involved in the host response to bacterial infections. In bacterial meningitis, intrathecal synthesis of TNF-alpha and IL-1 is likely to contribute to CNS injury by recruitment and activation of inflammatory cells with subsequent release of toxic factors, such as reactive oxygen intermediates and excitatory amino acids (glutamate), leading to neuronal cell death with neurologic sequelae. In rats with experimental meningitis, pretreatment with TGF-beta inhibits cerebrovascular changes and brain edema formation in the early, TNF-alpha-independent phase. Provided its local production in bacterial infection, TGF-beta may comprise a host factor interfering with immune pathologic events altering the integrity of the endothelial barrier.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frei
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Piani
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fontana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016923:Cell Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007378:Interleukins / Q000502:physiology; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors; D007378:Interleukins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha