MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS OF INTERLUEKIN-6 LEVELS IN CHILDREN WITH VIRAL ENCEPHALITIS AND MENGITIS

Zheng N, Zhang JY

Jinan General Military Hospital, Jinan, China

 

Objective: To investigate the clinical siginicance of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in children with central nervous system (CNS) viral infection.

Methods: The ELISA method was used to analyze the level of IL-6 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 58 children with viral encephalitis and meningitis .

Results: (1) IL-6 levels of CSF were significantly higher in CNS  viral infection group (138.20±23.83 pg/ml) compared to control group (15.35±1.54 pg/ml) (p<0.05), especially within 48 hours (244.10±70.13 pg/ml) (p<0.01). Even more, IL-6 levels were correlated with the severity of encephalitis. (2)There was a marked elevation of IL-6 in CSF than in serum (19.34±4.90 pg/ml), no relationship was seen between the two parameters. (3) IL-6 were found to elevate even before nomal finding on routine CSF examination in 3 children. (4) No relationship was seen between IL-6 and leukocyte counts as well as protein levels in CSF.

Conclusions: IL-6 plays an important role in acute phase of CNS viral infection, and could be helpful for early diagnosis and prognostic judgment.

 
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