To assess the role of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-a) in the diagnosis of meningitis in young children, 32 children presumably diagnosed as meningitis were included in the study and were classified into 3 groups according to CSF examination, staining and bacterial culture. Bacterial meningitis group (13 children), aseptic meningitis group (9 children) and control group (10 children) suffered from febrile convulsion. The predotninent organisms in bacterial meningitis group were S. pneitmoniae (61.6%), H. itifluetazae (23%) and N. meningitidis (15.4%). CSF IL-10 and TNF-CZ in bacterial meningitis were both highly significant increased than control group (P <0.001). In serum they were markedly elevated compared to the control group (P <0.001). In aseptic meningitis, IL-10, and TNF-a levels in CSF and serum were highly significant increased compared to the control group (P <0.001). These cytokine levels were higher in bacterial meningitis than in aseptic meningitis (P <0.001).
In conclusion : our results suggested that the inflammatory cytokines are differently produced in the inflammed intrathecal space infected with bacterial and aseptic meningitis. Determination of IL-10 and TNF-a rriqV IX use rtil as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in meningitis especially bacterial one |
