High Concentrations of Intrathecal Interleukin-6 in Human Bacterial and Nonbacterial Meningitis

P. Chavanet, B. Bonnotte, M. Guiguet, V. Zeller, E. Solary, L. Maurice, O. Casasnovas, D. Caillot, A. Waldner, J. P. Kisterman, H. Portier

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Abstract

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is multipotent cytokine that acts in a network of factors directing the inflammatory reaction of purulent bacterial meningitis (PBM). However, little is known about the role of IL-6 in aseptic or “viral” meningitis (AM). IL-6 was assayed by RIA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples obtained from patients with AM (n = 65), PBM (n = 8), and lymphocytic bacterial meningitis (LBM, n = 11). Of patients with AM, 89% had detectable IL-6 in CSF, with high IL-6 titers (median, 2160 pg/mL; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1320-2540 pg/mL) compared with 100% in patients with PBM (median, 6575 pg/mL; 95% CI, 450-32, 000 pg/mL) and 90.9% in patients with LBM (median, 875 pg/mL; 95% Cl, 150-2180 pg/mL). There was a highly symmetrical correlation between IL-6 and the percentage of polymorphonuclear cells in CSF of patients with PBM (r =.97, P =.01) and AM (r =.49, P =.002). In conclusion, this study shows evidence that IL-6 is released into the meningeal space in aseptic meningitis and is correlated with the local acute inflammatory response.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)428-431
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Infectious Diseases
Volume166
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 1992
Externally publishedYes

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