Neurotensin-like immunoreactivity (NTLI) concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid of children and its alteration in a febrile aseptic meningitis.

Abstract

Neurotensin-like immunoreactivity (NTLI) concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of normal children and patients with febrile aseptic meningitis, aged 7 months to 15 years, were studied. The NTLI concentrations in CSF of 27 children with normal CSF findings were 160.1 +/- 54.6 pg/ml (mean +/- S.D.). The NTLI concentration in CSF of 26 patients in an acute phase of aseptic meningitis was 110.6 +/- 51.1 pg/ml which was significantly (P less than 0.01) lower than the controls. These patients had a mean temperature of 101.4 +/- 1.5 degrees F which remained elevated for an average of 3.5 days. The NTLI concentrations in CSF of 23 patients in a recovery phase (after blood and CSF findings became normal with no fever) were 166.5 +/- 57.8 pg/ml, which did not differ significantly from the normal. There were no statistical correlations between the NTLI concentration in CSF and the protein concentration or total cell count in CSF. These results suggest that NTLI concentration changes during a febrile aseptic meningitis and that it may be associated with thermoregulation.