Cerebrospinal fluid levels of cyclic nucleotides in meningitis and idiopathic polyneuritis

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Abstract
CAMP and cGMP were measured in CSF and plasma from 7 patients with bacterial meningitis, 9 patients with serous meningitis, 5 patients with idiopathic polyneuritis and 15 reference patients. A significantly (P < 0.01) higher mean concentration of CSF cAMP was found in serous meningitis (33.8 .+-. 12.5 nmol/l) compared to the reference group (20.2 .+-. 4.0 nmol/l). No significant difference could be observed between the patients with purulent meningitis compared to the reference group. The CSF cAMP concentration (11.0 .+-. 2.8 nmol/l) for idiopathic polyneuritis was significantly (P < 0.01) lower than in the reference group. No difference in CSF levels of cGMP or in the cAMP/cGMP ratios were detected between the groups. The ratio between cAMP concentrations in CSF and plasma may aid in the differential diagnosis between serous and purulent meningitis.