Сomparative characteristics of serum and cerebrospinal interleukin-6 values in patients with serous and purulent meningitis

Background. In neuroinfections due to bacteremia or viralemia, generalized vasculitis occurs, including cerebral vessels, which causes the development of endothelial dysfunction. This contributes to vascular thrombosis, impaired vascular regulation, and stimulates neuroinflammation by increasing the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines from immune and neuronal cells such as microglia and astrocytes. Microglia activation is thought to play an important role in neuronal cell death through the release of proinflammatory mediators. Interleukins, interferons, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and factors that activate and inhibit macrophage activity play a leading role in the development of the acute phase response.

Objective. Comparison of laboratory parameters of the level of leukocytes in the peripheral blood and biochemical markers of inflammation (CRP, ferritin, IL-6 in the blood serum) and the level of IL-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid in patients with meningitis of various etiologies and patients without inflammatory changes in the central nervous system. The study involved 151 patients hospitalized at the State Budgetary Healthcare Institution of the Novosibirsk region "GIKB No. 1" in 2023-2024 with suspected serous or purulent meningitis. In all patients, laboratory parameters of blood and CSF were assessed, according to the results of which the patients were divided into two groups: patients with neuroinfections of various etiologies with pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid of more than 15 and patients without inflammatory changes in the central nervous system.

Results. The study revealed an increase in varying degrees of IL-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid in patients with neuroinfections, and a direct correlation was established between the level of pleocytosis and IL-6 values in the cerebrospinal fluid. A statistically significant increase in the concentration of IL-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid in the acute stage of purulent and serous meningitis was also revealed, which indicates the direct production of IL-6 by neuroglial cells that perform the function of macrophages in the central nervous system.

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