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Cerebrospinal creatinine kinase level in children with meningitis

Waleed Tamimi1, Norah Hamad Al-Kharji, Melfi Alanazi

  • 1Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, National Guard Health Affairs, Saudi Arabia. tamimiw@ngha.med.sa

Clinical Biochemistry
|May 27, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Creatine kinase (CK) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shows limited diagnostic value alone for childhood meningitis. Combining CK levels with other CSF markers like protein and glucose may improve meningitis diagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Chemistry
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Meningitis is a serious infection affecting the central nervous system in children.
  • Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and improved outcomes.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is a key component in diagnosing meningitis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the diagnostic utility of creatine kinase (CK) levels in CSF for pediatric meningitis.
  • To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of CK in differentiating meningitis types.

Main Methods:

  • CSF samples were analyzed from 71 children with suspected meningitis.
  • Measurements included total CK, CK-BB, glucose, total protein, and white blood cell (WBC) counts.
  • Bacterial and aseptic meningitis were confirmed by CSF culture; a CK cutoff of 18 U/L was used.

Main Results:

  • Bacterial meningitis was confirmed in 3% and aseptic meningitis in 15% of cases.
  • Total CK in CSF had 33% sensitivity and 91% specificity for bacterial meningitis.
  • For aseptic meningitis, total CK showed 40% sensitivity and 98% specificity.

Conclusions:

  • Total CK levels in CSF are not sufficiently sensitive or specific as a standalone diagnostic marker for meningitis.
  • Combining CSF total CK measurements with other biomarkers like total protein and glucose may enhance diagnostic accuracy for meningitis in children.
Abstract

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