title: Swiftly Decreasing Cerebrospinal Fluid Cathelicidin Concentration Predicts Improved Outcome in Childhood Bacterial Meningitis.
abstract: We investigated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cathelicidin concentrations in childhood bacterial meningitis on admission and during antimicrobial treatment. CSF cathelicidin concentrations on admission correlated with CSF white cell counts and protein levels but not with bacterial etiology. A greater decrease in the concentration in response to treatment was associated with a better outcome. Since the CSF cathelicidin concentration reflects the degree of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation, it may be used as a novel biomarker in childhood bacterial meningitis. An early decrease during treatment likely signals more rapid mitigation of the disease process and thus a better outcome.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland okko.savonius@helsinki.fi.|University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Okko
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8011-8276
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Savonius
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Helve
authors.affiliation: University Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Irmeli
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0020-361X
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roine
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Sture
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: Clínica Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peltola
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuula
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pelkonen
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054804:Cathelicidins
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D054804:Cathelicidins