title: Cerebrospinal fluid nitric oxide levels in childhood bacterial meningitis.
abstract: The role of nitric oxide (NO) in childhood bacterial meningitis was investigated by determining the levels of nitrate/nitrite, stable end products of NO metabolism, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Eighteen children with bacterial meningitis and 18 as a control group were included in the study. Mean (+/- SD) CSF nitrate/nitrite levels were 27.6 +/- 26 micromol/l in the bacterial meningitis group and 3.2 +/- 1.8 micromol/l in the control group (p = 0.0005). We found no correlation between CSF nitrate/nitrite levels and CSF white blood cell count (r = 0.22), protein (r = 0.26) or tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels (r = 0.046), but a moderate negative correlation between CSF nitrate/nitrite and glucose levels (r = -0.46).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Childrens Hospital, Social Security Institution, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sinav
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yüksel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uysal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009569:Nitric Oxide