Cerebrospinal fluid Transaminases as discriminatory marker in meningitis

Abstract

Back ground: Bacterial meningitis (BM) is a life-threatening disease with high mortality rates and bad neurologic sequelae; however, it is a potentially treatable disease, whereas aseptic (viral) meningitis (AM) mostly subsides spontaneously. Therefore, BM represents a medical emergency. Objective: To study cerebrospinal fluid Transaminases and other marker in meningitis. Material and Methods: The present study was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry at Government Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad during the period June 1999 to June 2001 on 40 patients of meningitis and 20 controls from pediatric age group. CSF and blood samples from patients suffering from pyogenic meningitis (32) (Group II), tuberculous meningitis (Group III) (8) and control subjects (Group I) (20) were examined. Statistical analysis was done by One way ANOVA non-parametric test with Tukey-test to compare all the group was used and calculated by SPSS 19 version of the software. Result: In our study we have seen that CSF sugar was Significantly lower in the Pyogenic Meningitis Group (II) as compared to Controls (I) and Tuberculous meningitis (III) group (p 0.05) and also CSF/Blood Sugar Ratio was significantly lower Pyogenic (II) and Tuberculous (III) Meningitis group as compared to Control (I) (p 0.05). CSF Proteins were significantly higher in Pyogenic (II) and Tuberculous Meningitis group (III) as compared to controls (p 0.05). CSF GPT was significantly higher in Pyogenic (II) and Tubercoulas (III) meningitis as compared to control (I). Conclusion: CSF GOT was significantly increased in pyogenic meningitis as compared to tuberculous meningitis. Thus we have concluded that CSF GOT, GPT help the clinician for diagnosing meningitis in addition to the routine investigations. Further CSF GOT may help in the differentiation between pyogenic and tuberculous meningitis.