Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 29, 2026

Quantitative Measurement of Intrathecally Synthesized Proteins in Mice
Published on: November 29, 2019
Cerebrospinal fluid cytokine profiles in children with acute neurological symptoms
Heidi Maria Pöyhönen1, Kaisa Annukka Pietikäinen2, Helena Emmi Karoliina Ollila3
1Paediatric Neurology, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Introduction:
In children, acute neurologic symptoms may be a sign either of a severe central nervous system (CNS) disorder or a benign condition, which may be difficult to distinguish from each other by clinical picture. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokine levels may serve as a diagnostic tool and help in distinguishing CNS infections from other conditions.
Method:
Children (n = 144) treated for acute neurologic symptoms between 2014 and 2016 in Turku University Hospital, Finland, were included in the study. Levels of 48 different cytokines were analyzed retrospectively in CSF samples collected during routine patient care. Cytokine levels were compared among children with CNS infection (n = 32; including encephalitis, bacterial meningitis or brain abscess, viral meningitis and Lyme neuroborreliosis), epileptic seizure (n = 32), and migraine (n = 7), as well as between those with or without CNS infection.
Results:
IL-1ra, MIP-1α, RANTES, IL-6, and IL-16 emerged as the most promising candidate diagnostic markers for discriminating children with CNS infection from those without. Their discriminatory performance was moderate, with AUC values ranging from 0.78 to 0.81 (IL-1ra 0.81, MIP-1α 0.81, RANTES 0.78, IL-6 0.78, IL-16 0.80).
Conclusions:
Determining selected cytokine levels in CSF samples may provide a useful diagnostic tool to aid in distinguishing CNS infections from other conditions in children presenting with similar symptoms.
Related Concept Videos
Viral Meningitis
Bacterial Meningitis
Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology
Encephalitis l: Introduction
Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
Bacterial Meningitis I: Introduction