title: Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of leukotriene B4 in bacterial meningitis.
abstract: We investigated whether leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a granulocyte inflammatory mediator, is detectable in cerebrospinal fluid using a high performance liquid chromatographic method. In non-pleocytotic cerebrospinal fluid (n = 5) and in cerebrospinal fluid from children with aseptic meningitis (n = 8), LTB4 concentrations were below the detection limit (< 0.2 ng ml-1). In the range 0-20 ng ml-1, the recovery rate of LTB4 that had been added to non-pleocytotic cerebrospinal fluid was > 90%. In cerebrospinal fluid with a polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) count higher than 1,000/ml, LTB4 was detectable in six out of seven specimens with a concentration of 0.35-3.3 ng ml-1. LTB4 concentration was significantly correlated with PMN number. These results, together with observations in animal models, are discussed with regard to a pathophysiological role of LTB4 in bacterial meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sievers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schaub
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D007975:Leukotriene B4