[The assessment of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and interleukin (IL)-1 beta levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum in patients with purulent meningitis]

The purpose of this work was to detect the concentration of cytokines--tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and Interleukin (IL)-1 beta in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum, their diagnostic and prognostic usefulness among patients with purulent meningitis. 25 patients of Centre of Parasitic Diseases and Neuroinfections hospitalized with diagnosis or suspicion of purulent meningitis were studied. The patients were divided into two groups: I-12 persons with diagnosis of purulent meningitis and group II-13 controls where suspicion of meningitis was excluded during clinical procedure. The cytokines were detected by immunometric assay. This examination was performed twice--before and after treatment. In group I-patients with purulent meningitis, TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta CSF concentrations were significantly higher in comparison with group II. After treatment the concentrations of cytokines did not show significant differences between group I and II. In acute phase of meningitis correlations between CSF concentration of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta and other indexes of inflammation in CSF: pleocytosis, concentration of protein and glucose were found. The serum concentrations of the cytokines were many times lower than in CSF. The detection of TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta CSF concentration can be used to estimate the efficacy of therapy and regression of inflammation in the central nervous system.

A report of Froin's syndrome in five ovine thoracolumbar epidural abscess cases

An epidural abscess involving the thoracolumbar spinal cord was considered the probable cause of pelvic limb paresis in those sheep where analysis of lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples revealed a significant increase in protein concentration (P less than 0.05) and some increase in total white blood cell concentration and neutrophil percentage. There was no significant increase in protein concentration in the corresponding cisternal samples. This phenomenon caused by blockage to CSF flow is not dissimilar to that of Froin's syndrome in man which has been reported as a result of localized spinal meningitis (Brain, 1985).