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STUDIES ON INFLUENZAL MENINGITIS : I. THE PROBLEMS OF SPECIFIC THERAPY

H K Ward1, J Wright

  • 1Department of Bacteriology and Immunology of the Harvard University Medical School, Boston.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Pfeiffer

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Acute purulent meningitis caused by Pfeiffer's influenza bacillus is a severe, often fatal, childhood illness.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid in these cases lacks complement, hindering the effectiveness of specific antiserum treatment.
  • Bactericidal experiments indicate that complement is crucial for antiserum efficacy against Pfeiffer's influenza bacillus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the therapeutic potential of combining specific antiserum with complement for treating Pfeiffer's influenza bacillus meningitis.
  • To understand the role of complement in the efficacy of antiserum treatment for bacterial meningitis.
  • To explore strategies for preventing abscess formation in treated meningitis cases.

Main Methods:

  • Treatment of patients with a combination of specific antiserum and complement.
  • Monitoring of clinical improvement, cerebrospinal fluid sterilization, and patient outcomes.
  • Autopsy examination to identify pathological changes, including abscess formation.

Main Results:

  • Combined antiserum and complement therapy led to temporary clinical improvement and cerebrospinal fluid sterilization in some patients.
  • Patients who relapsed developed localized brain abscesses, walled off from the subarachnoid space, leading to fatal outcomes.
  • One patient recovered, suggesting potential for successful treatment under certain conditions.

Conclusions:

  • While combined antiserum and complement therapy shows promise, abscess formation presents a significant challenge to treatment success.
  • Preventing abscesses through earlier diagnosis and more rapid bacterial elimination is critical.
  • Optimizing the antiserum to complement ratio may enhance bacterial clearance and improve treatment outcomes.

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