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Updated: Oct 15, 2026

A Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cell-based Model of the Human Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier to Study Bacterial Infection from the Basolateral Side
09:58

A Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cell-based Model of the Human Blood-Cerebrospinal Fluid Barrier to Study Bacterial Infection from the Basolateral Side

Published on: May 6, 2016

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 and MMP-9 in cerebrospinal fluid during bacterial meningitis: association with

D Leppert1, S L Leib, C Grygar

  • 1Departments of Research and Neurology, University Hospitals, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland. David.Leppert@.unibas.ch

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|July 29, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), specifically MMP-8 and MMP-9, are elevated in pediatric bacterial meningitis (BM) and linked to neurological deficits. High MMP-9 levels indicate a risk for long-term neurological complications after meningitis.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Bacterial meningitis (BM) can lead to severe neurological sequelae in children.
  • Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are implicated in inflammatory processes and tissue remodeling.
  • The role of specific MMPs in the pathogenesis of pediatric BM is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spectrum and regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors in pediatric bacterial meningitis.
  • To determine if MMP levels correlate with clinical outcomes and neurological deficits.

Main Methods:

  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 27 children with BM and control patients was analyzed for MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-8, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2.
  • MMP levels were correlated with clinical data, including neurological deficits and CSF cell counts.
  • Longitudinal CSF sampling was performed in some patients to assess MMP regulation.

Main Results:

  • MMP-8 and MMP-9 were frequently detected in BM patients' CSF but not in controls.
  • Elevated CSF MMP-9 levels were associated with the development of hearing impairment or secondary epilepsy.
  • MMP-9 levels correlated with TIMP-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations.
  • MMP-8 and MMP-9 levels were independently regulated and did not correlate with CSF cell count.

Conclusions:

  • Matrix metalloproteinases, particularly MMP-9, are significantly elevated in pediatric bacterial meningitis.
  • High MMP-9 concentrations in CSF are a risk factor for developing post-meningitic neurological sequelae.
  • MMPs may originate from both infiltrating immune cells and parenchymal cells.

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