Enteroviral meningitis reduces CSF concentration of Aβ42, but does not affect markers of parenchymal damage

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurology
• Neurovirology
• Neuroinflammation

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease biomarkers are studied in adult CNS infections, but data in children are limited.
• Enteroviruses are a common cause of aseptic meningitis globally.
• Investigating neuroinflammatory markers in pediatric CNS infections is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the neuroinflammatory impact of non-polio enteroviruses in children.
• To measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of Alzheimer's-associated biomarkers (Aβ42, t-tau, S100B) in pediatric enteroviral meningitis (EM).
• To explore correlations between inflammatory cell counts and biomarker levels in pediatric EM.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed CSF samples from 42 children diagnosed with enteroviral meningitis (EM) and a control group.
• Measured concentrations of amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42), total tau (t-tau), and S100B using standard assays.
• Correlated CSF biomarker levels with neutrophil and mononuclear cell counts, adjusting for confounding factors.

Main Results:

• EM significantly reduced CSF Aβ42 levels compared to controls (p < 0.001).
• CSF concentrations of t-tau and S100B remained unaffected by EM.
• CSF neutrophil count correlated negatively with Aβ42 (R = -0.59, p < 0.001).
• CSF mononuclear cell count correlated positively with t-tau (R = 0.41, p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Pediatric enteroviral meningitis alters CSF Aβ42 levels, suggesting a potential link to neurodegenerative pathways.
• Inflammatory responses in pediatric EM are associated with specific CSF biomarker changes.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term neurological implications of these biomarker alterations in children.