Research on severity of oxidative and inflamatuar markers in rabbit experimental meningitis with streptococcus pneumoniae

SUMMARYAim: Early diagnosis and treatment of acute bacterial meningitis is important because of its high mortality and morbidity. Despite the use of various diagnostic and prognostic tests, these lack sufficient specificity and sensitivity. This study was performed to investigate the role of ischemia modified albumin (IMA), a specific marker for hypoxia, in the early diagnosis and prognosis of acute bacterial meningitis.Materials and Methods: This study was conducted on two equivalent groups of totally 14 each New Zealand rabbit. The first group was infected with Streptococcus pneumonia and the other was the control group. Bacteria injected to cisterna magna of the meningitis group and salin suspension injected to cisterna magna of the control group. Twenty-four hours later animals were observed via cranial MR (Magnetic Resonance) images. Also serum and CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) samples were taken. IMA , malondialdehit (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels were determined in serum and CSF samples.Findings: Serum CRP (p= 0.001), CSF CRP (p= 0.014), serum PCT (p= 0.047) and CSF PCT (p=0.027) values of the meningitis group is higher (statistically significant ) than the values of the control group. Statistically significant positive correlation was identified between the serum CRP and serum IMA values (p= 0.001) , and between the serum CRP and serum MDA values (p=0.036 ) of the meningitis group. There was no significant difference between the ventricular dimension of the meningitis group and the control group according to the cranial MR images that were taken at 24th hour of infection (p> 0.05).Conclusion: The findings led us consider that IMA cannot be used as a specific marker for early diagnosis of meningitis, but it may be useful when it is being evaluated together with CRP, PCT and MDA. However, it is understood that in order to come to a statement it shall be more convenient to study on larger series with longer observation periods.