title: Patterns of Local and Systemic Cytokines in Bacterial Meningitis and its Relation with Severity and Long-Term Sequelae.
abstract: Bacterial meningitis (BM) is a pyogenic infection present in the subarachnoid space, potentially fatal and frequently associated with neurological sequelae. During BM, cytokines (CTs) are locally produced. We sought to determine the CTs' clinical role as disease severity predictors in adults, which is not completely clear. Using a bead-based flow cytometric assay, levels of six CTs were determined in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma from 18 adult BM patients and 19 uninfected controls. Long-term neurological sequelae were evaluated using the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). All evaluated CTs were higher in CSF than in plasma, and the levels of CSF interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α and plasma IL-10 and IL-12p70 were significantly higher in patients with severe sepsis than with sepsis, suggesting an association with clinical severity. There was a strong negative correlation between CSF IL-6 and plasma IL-12p70 with GOS score, supporting the possible role of these CTs in the development of neurological long-term sequelae. These findings could be helpful to identify candidates to receive neuroprotective treatments and early physiotherapy schemes.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perdomo-Celis
authors.affiliation: Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia. ; Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ostos
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gutierrez-Achury
authors.affiliation: Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia. ; Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Molano
authors.affiliation: Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia. ; Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Luis F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Durán
authors.affiliation: Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia. ; Departamento de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario de Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Programa de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Surcolombiana, Neiva, Colombia.
authors.forename: Carlos F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Narváez
keywords: Streptococcus pneumoniae; bacterial meningitis; biomarkers; cerebrospinal fluid; cytokines; sequelae