Value of procalcitonin, matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the differential diagnosis of intracranial infection in children

Abstract

Objective To observe the serum and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) levels of procalcitonin(PCT), matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9) in children with purulent meningitis and viral encephalitis, and evaluat the differential diagnosis value of PCT and MMP-9. Methods The clinical data of 73 patients with intracranial infection admitted to neurology of Qingdao Women and Children’s Hospital from September 2014 to December 2015.Twenty-two patients with pumlent meningitis were se1ected as purulent meningitis group, 51 patients with viral encephalitis as viral encephalitis group, and another 20 non-infectious convulsion children as a control group.Samples of 2 ml CSF and 3 ml venous blood from all the subjects were collected within 24 hours after admission.The levels of MMP-9 were detected by Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the PCT 1evels were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.The data in multiple groups were compared with analysis of variance, and by SNK-q test to carry on pairwise comparison among groups. The positive rate significance compared by Chi-square test. Linear correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. Results Mean serum and CSF levels of PCT in the pumlent meningitis patients group were significantly higher than those in the viral encephalitis group as well as the control group(P 0.05); Mean serum and CSF levels of MMP-9 in the pumlent meningitis patients group were significantly higher than those in the viral encephalitis group and control group(P 0.05); The PCT level of serum or CSF in pumlent meningitis patients was positively correlated with MMP-9(r=0.498, P 0.05). Conclusion Detection of PCT and MMP-9 level is valuable in differential diagnosis for the pumlent meningitis or viral encephalitis. Key words: Procalcitonin; Matrix Metalloproteinase-9; Purulent meningitis; Viral encephalitis; Differential diagnosis; Children