title: Serum procalcitonin and cerebrospinal fluid cytokines level in children with meningitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the level of serum procalcitonin and cerebrospinal fluid cytokines in children with bacterial or viral meningitis and to document the use of these parameters in differential diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before the start of antibiotic treatment, serum procalcitonin and tumor necrosis factor alpha levels were found to be higher in acute bacterial meningitis compared with viral meningitis and with the control group. Similarly, cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 levels were found to be significantly higher in children with acute bacterial meningitis compared with viral meningitis. However, no significant difference was determined between groups in respect to the cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-8 level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum procalcitonin and cerebrospinal fluid tumor necrosis factor alpha levels can be used in the early diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Similarly, they may be useful adjuncts in differential diagnosis of bacterial and viral meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical Faculty of Firat University, Elazig, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taskin
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turgut
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akbulut
authors.forename: A Denizmen
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Aygun
mesh_terms: D002116:Calcitonin / Q000097:blood*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid
chemical_list: C000606589:CALCA protein, human; D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D011498:Protein Precursors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002116:Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide