Cerebrospinal Fluid Concentrations of Biogenic Amines: Potential Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Bacterial and Viral Meningitis.

Aneela Taj,Nusrat Jamil

doi:10.3390/pathogens7020039

Abstract

Catecholamine and serotonin are biogenic amines (BAs) that serve as neurotransmitters and play an important role in the regulation of cardinal functions that are mainly altered during central nervous system (CNS) infections. A total 92 samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were classified into 4 groups based on their etiology. In these samples, BAs/neurotransmitters i.e., dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA) were detected and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC) to determine the neurophysiology of the CNS infections by bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) and Neisseria meningitidis (Nm)) and herpes simplex virus (HSV). CSF concentration of DA, DOPAC, HVA, and 5HIAA were found significantly elevated in all test cohorts. Present study highlights that the analysis of BAs is pivotal for the early diagnosis of bacterial and viral meningitis. In addition, coinfections of varied etiology can also be diagnosed by their quantification. Thus, BAs can serve as potential biomarkers of these CNS infections.

Highlights

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a watery liquid that circulates within the ventricles of the brain, and surrounds the brain and spinal column
An extensive literature survey has revealed that a few studies have been reported in recent past that examined the concentration of amino acids in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during bacterial [3,4,5,6,7,8] and viral meningitis [8]
Concentrations of biogenic amine (BA) neurotransmitters were quantified in all groups i.e., Neisseria meningitidis (Nm), Listeria monocytogenes (Lm), Nm+herpes simplex virus (HSV), and HSV by taking standard mean

Summary

Introduction

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a watery liquid that circulates within the ventricles of the brain, and surrounds the brain and spinal column It contains small molecules, salts, peptides, proteins, and enzymes that play critical roles in many physiological processes of the human host. Biogenic amines (BAs) refer to the neurotransmitters associated with several neurological and systemic functions governed by autonomic and central nervous system [9,10]. They are mainly involved in movement, sleep, learning, memory, thermoregulation, emotional behavior, as well as other functions [10,11]. BAs are extensively studied to understand pathogenesis of neuronal injury induced by a variety of CNS insults of neurological, physical, biochemical, and physiological origin [9]

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