NF-κB activation in cerebrospinal fluid cells from patients with meningitis

Abstract

We examined whether or not NF-κB, a factor that regulates expression of the genes that code for pro-inflammatory cytokines, is activated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cells to investigate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by CSF cells in patients with meningitis. Western blotting demonstrated that NF-κB was more activated in CSF cells of patients with bacterial meningitis than in those of patients with aseptic meningitis. NF-κB was hardly activated in carcinomatous meningitis. The NF-κB activation in CSF cells of patients with meningitis tended to be correlated with the CSF interleukin-6 concentration. Our data suggested that CSF cells produce pro-inflammatory cytokines through NF-κB activation in meningitis, and that increased NF-κB activation in CSF cells indicate infectious meningitis rather than carcinomatous meningitis.

Keywords:

• NF-KAPPA B
• BACTERIAL MENINGITIS
• ASEPTIC MENINGITIS
• CARCINOMATOUS MENINGITIS
• INTERLEUKIN-6
• CEREBROSPINAL FLUID