Aspects of immune and inflammatory response in mumps meningoencephalitis: cytokines quantification

THESES

ASPECTS OF IMMUNE AND INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE IN MUMPS MENINGOENCEPHALITIS: CYTOKINES QUANTIFICATION (ABSTRACT)^*. THESIS. RIBEIRÃO PRETO, 1999.

ALFREDO LEBOREIRO FERNANDEZ ^**

In the period from April 1992 to November 1995, we studied 55 children from 2 to 13 years old, with the diagnosis of mumps meningoencephalitis, based on swelling of the parotid gland and epidemiologic evaluation, and confirmed by signs and symptoms of meningeal irritation, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, and by demonstrating of mumps virus antibodies in CSF samples. The average period of acute phase was 6.8 days, 3.3 days before and 3.5 days after hospitalization. Fever and headache were the most prominent and frequent symptoms. CSF showed on admission hypercytosis, 304 cells/mm3, and protein concentration increase, 56 mg/dL; four days later values found were 254 and 50, respectively.

Cytokines (IL-1b, IL-5, IL-10, TNFa, TNFb and IFNg) levels were immunoassayed (ELISA) and related with symptoms and signs duration, cell number, and protein concentration in the CSF. Median IL-1b and IL-10 levels higher limit of detection of the assays were found, although isolated positive values occurred in all studied cytokines. IL-1b and IFNg concentrations were significantly correlated with acute phase duration and protein concentrations were also IL-10 levels correlated with the cell number in the CSF.

Recently, important activity of cytokines has been reported in viral diseases of the central nervous system. In mumps meningoencephalitis, our findings and other studies demonstrated intrathecal synthesis of viral antibodies by B lymphocytes, overexpansion of a subset of suppressor-cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+), as well as immunomodulation by cytokines, mainly IFNg and IL-10.

KEY WORDS: mumps, meningoencephalitis, cerebrospinal fluid, cytokines.

** Address: Avenida Leopoldino de Oliveira 2733 / 900, 38015-000 Uberaba MG, Brasil.

*

Aspectos da resposta imuno/inflamatória na meningencefalite pelo vírus da caxumba: quantificação de citocinas (Resumo). Tese de Doutorado, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo. Orientadora: Maria Valeriana Leme de Moura Ribeiro.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  06 Dec 2000
• Date of issue
  June 1999