Intrathecal activation of the lectin pathway in patients with eosinophilic meningitis by Angiostrongylus cantonensis

Abstract

Eosinophilic meningitis produced by Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an emerging disease in Western hemisphere. MBL and H‐ and M‐ficolins are starters of the lectin pathway.ObjectiveTo determine if MBL and H‐ and M‐ficolins can be synthesizedin central nervous system in patients suffering from eosinophilic meningitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis.Methods19 serum and CSF paired samples were obtained from pediatric patients with the diagnosis of eosinophilic meningitis by Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Cerebrospinal fluid was obtained by lumbar puncture and serum from blood was taken by venopuncture. Serum and CSF was stored frozen in aliquots at −80°C until analysis.The local ethics committee approved this study and all patients' tutors gave informed consent.CSF and serum albumin were quantified by immunochemical nephelometry with kinetic analysis. MBL and H‐ and M‐ficolins were measured by commercial enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.The MBL reibergram was employed in order to determine if MBL can be synthesized inthecentral nervous system or not. The H‐ and M‐ficolins regressions were employed in order to determine if H‐ and M‐ficolins can be synthesized in the central nervous system or not.Results8 patients do not have dysfunction of blood/CSF barrier and 4 patients have intratecal synthesis of MBL.One patient do not have intrathecal synthesis of H‐ficolin (Figure 2A) and all patients have intrathecal synthesis of M‐ficolin (Figure 2B).ConclusionsIntrathecal activation of the lectin pathway by at least one of the quantified starters in this group of patients with eosinophilic meningitis due to Angiostrongylus cantonensis.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.