Cytokine profile in patients with acute bacterial meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening disease with high mortality and common long-term sequelae. The inflammatory response in the subarachnoid space, modulated by different cytokines, plays a major role in the pathogenesis of acute central nervous system infections. We aimed to examine correlations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12(p40), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels with disease severity, complications, and outcome in patients with acute bacterial meningitis. METHODS: The study involved 30 patients with bacterial meningitis/meningoencephalitis admitted to the University Hospital St. George, Plovdiv over a period of 4 years. Patients were selected based on clinical presentation and laboratory abnormalities, consistent with a neuroinfection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the studied cytokines in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum in parallel. For microbiological diagnosis multiplex, polymerase chain reaction, and CSF culture were used. RESULTS: In patients with acute bacterial meningitis CSF levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α are significantly increased than in serum. CSF TNF-α, CSF IL-8, and CSF IL-10 had a moderate negative correlation to CSF glucose. It was found that serum IL-8 is significantly elevated in patients who experienced neurological complications, have severe clinical course, and in deceased patients. CSF IL-10 is increased only in patients with severe acute bacterial meningitis. CONCLUSION: Among patients with acute bacterial meningitis serum IL-8 could delineate these with increased risk of neurological complications, severe clinical course, and fatal outcome. Serum IL-8 and CSF IL-10 could be used as indicators of disease severity.

Clinical aspects of hantavirus infections in Bulgaria.

BACKGROUND: Hantaviruses cause two distinct human diseases: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Asia and Europe and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in America. In Europe, mainly Puumala, Dobrava and Seoul viruses cause HFRS. A total of 23 cases of HFRS were detected in Bulgaria over a 2­year period 2013-2014. The aim of the study was to present epidemiology, clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of these patients. METHODS: Patients with HFRS were diagnosed using PCR, ELISA and immunoblotting tests. RESULTS: Dobrava-Belgrade virus (DOBV) was revealed as etiological agent in 16 (69.6%) patients and Puumala virus (PUUV) in 7 (30.4%) patients. All 23 patients were men aged 22-66 years of which 6 (26.1%) patients originated from regions in northern and western Bulgaria previously thought to be non-endemic. Patients with HFRS, despite the infecting hantavirus, manifested acute renal failure, asthenia and less pronounced hemorrhagic syndrome. Patients with DOBV infection were much more likely to present with arthromyalgia, severe headache, severe to moderately severe asthenoadynamia, abdominal pain, vomiting, hypotension, nervous system disorders as well as kidney enlargement, leucopenia and higher levels of blood creatinine, requiring hemodialysis procedures more often and for a longer period of time than patients with PUUV infection. CONCLUSIONS: The present report describes for the first time comparative analysis of epidemiological features, clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of DOBV and PUUV infections in Bulgaria.