[Changes and roles of VEGF and VCAM-1 in cerebrospinal fluid of children with viral encephalitis].
OBJECTIVE
Vascular endothelial cell injury contributes to the pathogenesis of viral encephalitis. This study was designed to investigate the roles of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1) in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in the pathogenesis of viral encephalitis and in the evaluation of the severity and the prognosis of viral encephalitis in children.


METHODS
CSF VEGF and VCAM-1 levels were measured using ELISA in 65 children with viral encephalitis and 20 age-matched controls (10 cases of epilepsy and 10 cases of congenital abnormality).


RESULTS
CSF levels of VEGF and VCAM-1 in the viral encephalitis group in the acute phase were significantly elevated compared with those in the congenital abnormality (P<0.01) and the epilepsy groups (P<0.05). CSF levels of VEGF and VCAM-1 in the viral encephalitis group in the recovery phase decreased significantly and were similar to the levels of the epilepsy group, but remained higher than those in the congenital abnormality group (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between CSF levels of VEGF and VCAM-1 in the viral encephalitis group in the acute and recovery phases. CSF levels of VEGF and VCAM-1 were positively correlated to CSF protein contents and the degree of MRI abnormality in the viral encephalitis group.


CONCLUSIONS
VEGF and VCAM-1 may participate in the pathogenesis of viral encephalitis. Detection of the two parameters may be helpful to the evaluation of the severity and prognosis of viral encephalitis.
Yang
Feng-Hua
FH
Department of Pediatrics, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China.
Wang
Hua
H
Zhang
Jun-Mei
JM
Zhang
Han
H
Pan
Li-Li
LL
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018792:Encephalitis, Viral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000502:physiology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000502:physiology
C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A