Determination of Interleukin 6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor in Cerebrospinal Fluid in Children with Acute Infection of the Central Nervous System

Objective To study the changes of interleukin 6 (IL 6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in children with acute infection of the central nervous system. Methods IL 6 and TNF in CSF were determined using ELISA in 50 children who were admitted with acute infection of the central nervous system, including 18 cases with purulent meningitis (PM) and 32 cases with viral meningitis or encephalitis (VE), and twelve children served as controls. Results The levels of IL 6 and TNF in the PM group (746±499 pg/ml and 565±371 pg/ml, respectively) were significantly higher than that of the VE group (165±176 pg/ml and 75±73 pg/ml, respectively) and the controls (10±17 pg/ml and 21±26 pg/ml, respectively) (P0.001). The levels of IL 6 and TNF in the VE group were also higher than those of the controls (P0.01 and P0.05, respectively). No significant relationship was found between elevations of CSF IL 6 and TNF levels and CSF leukocyte counts. Conclusions The determination of CSF IL 6 and TNF levels may be valuable in distinguishing purulent meningitis from viral meningitis and encephalitis. We speculate that IL 6 and TNF may contribute to the pathophysiological mechanisms of acute infection of the central nervous system.