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Accuracy of cerebrospinal fluid ferritin for purulent meningitis

Pedro Celiny Ramos Garcia1, Andrea Lucia Machado Barcelos2, Cristian Tedesco Tonial3

  • 1Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics and Child Health, Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Archives of Disease in Childhood
|March 1, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ferritin levels can help diagnose purulent meningitis (PM) in children. Elevated CSF ferritin levels were significantly higher in children with PM compared to other meningitis types or no meningitis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Neuroscience
  • Biomarker discovery

Background:

  • Meningitis is a serious infection affecting the central nervous system.
  • Accurate and rapid diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment and improved outcomes.
  • Distinguishing between different types of meningitis, such as purulent and aseptic, is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the diagnostic utility of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ferritin levels.
  • To determine if CSF ferritin can differentiate purulent meningitis (PM) from aseptic meningitis (AM) and non-meningitis cases in children.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 81 children aged 28 days to 12 years with suspected meningitis.
  • Measurement of CSF ferritin levels in all participants.
  • Comparison of CSF ferritin levels across three groups: PM, AM, and no meningitis.

Main Results:

  • CSF ferritin levels were significantly higher in children with PM (median 52.9 ng/mL) compared to those with AM (median 4.2 ng/mL) or no meningitis (median 2.4 ng/mL).
  • A significant difference (p<0.001) was observed between PM and both other groups.
  • No significant difference in CSF ferritin levels was found between AM and no meningitis groups.

Conclusions:

  • CSF ferritin shows potential as a valuable biomarker for diagnosing purulent meningitis in children presenting with meningitis symptoms.
  • This finding may aid in earlier and more accurate diagnosis, guiding appropriate treatment strategies.
Abstract

Keywords:
biomarkercerebrospinal fluidferritinmeningitis

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