Comparison of cerebrospinal fluid pentraxin 3 levels and serum pentraxin 3 levels with acute phase reactants in the diagnosis of central nervous system infections

Objective: Although central nervous system (CNS) infections constitute less than 1% of all hospitalizations, they are among important emergencies due to morbidity and deaths. Early diagnosis and treatment are very important, and each hour of delay increases the patient's morbidity and mortality risk. Lumbar puncture is the most valuable approach to diagnosis. However, in cases where lumbar puncture cannot be performed, clinical findings, radiological imaging, acute phase reactants and hemogram help the diagnosis. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), which has gained importance in the diagnosis of infectious diseases due to limitations in diagnosis in recent years, is thought to contribute. The aim of this study was to examine the significance of PTX3 for diagnosis in central nervous system infections and to compare it with other acute phase reactants. Material and Methods: Patients diagnosed with central nervous system infection were included in the study. After taking informed consent from the patients, lumbar puncture was performed and cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples were taken. Blood samples and CSF were studied with kits. The obtained data were analyzed by using the SPSS 21 package program. Results: 41 patients diagnosed with central nervous system infection were included in the study. CSF Pentraxin-3 levels appear to be higher than serum Pentraxin-3 levels (10.11 vs. 0.41 ng/mL). However, this difference was not found to be statistically significant (p: 0.085). There was no statistically significant difference between serum PTX3 levels and clinical outcomes, CSF and blood parameters (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between CSF Pentraxin-3 levels and clinical outcomes, CSF and blood parameters of the patients included in the study (p>0.05). There was a moderate negative correlation between CSF PTX3 levels and Glasgow Coma Score (r=-0.354, p=0.023). A moderate positive correlation was found between CSF PTX3 levels and CSF protein levels (r=0.322, p=0.040). Conclusion: As a result of the study, an increase was observed in CSF pentraxin-3 levels, while no significant increase was found in serum pentraxin-3 levels. Although no significant difference was found in serum pentaxin-3 levels, it is thought that these significant results may be useful in diagnosis and differential diagnosis and contribute to the literature. Key words: Central nervous system infections, Pentraxin 3, Cerebrospinal fluid