TY - JOUR
T1 - Cerebrospinal fluid levels of biopterin, nitric oxide metabolites, and immune activation markers and the clinical course of human cerebral malaria
AU - Weiss, Günter
AU - Thuma, Philip E.
AU - Biemba, Godfrey
AU - Mabeza, George
AU - Werner, Ernst R.
AU - Gordeuk, Victor R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Grant support: Austria Research Funds (project FWF-12186); Food and Drug Administration Orphan Products Development (FD-R-000975); Austrian National Bank (P4796); Office of Minority Health to the Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH.
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - Cerebrospinal fluid samples from 130 children who presented with cerebral malaria were investigated to elucidate the impact of biopterin production, NO formation, and local immune activation on the clinical course of this disease. Biopterin levels were significantly lower in patients who were in a deeper coma (P = .02). Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of NO were significantly higher in children who died than in survivors (P = .037); however, this was not the case for macrophage activation markers, neopterin, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor p75 (sTNFR-75). Biopterin, neopterin, and sTNFR-75 but not NO concentrations were significantly related to each other. Low biopterin levels in deep coma are compatible with an impaired local Th1 response, but the low levels could also be due to the scavenging of radicals or to decreased neurotransmitter synthesis. Local production of NO, most likely by nonimmune mechanisms, may be detrimental in cerebral malaria; however, this appears not to be the case for local Th1- mediated immune pathways.
AB - Cerebrospinal fluid samples from 130 children who presented with cerebral malaria were investigated to elucidate the impact of biopterin production, NO formation, and local immune activation on the clinical course of this disease. Biopterin levels were significantly lower in patients who were in a deeper coma (P = .02). Cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of NO were significantly higher in children who died than in survivors (P = .037); however, this was not the case for macrophage activation markers, neopterin, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor p75 (sTNFR-75). Biopterin, neopterin, and sTNFR-75 but not NO concentrations were significantly related to each other. Low biopterin levels in deep coma are compatible with an impaired local Th1 response, but the low levels could also be due to the scavenging of radicals or to decreased neurotransmitter synthesis. Local production of NO, most likely by nonimmune mechanisms, may be detrimental in cerebral malaria; however, this appears not to be the case for local Th1- mediated immune pathways.
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U2 - 10.1086/515229
DO - 10.1086/515229
M3 - Article
C2 - 9534983
AN - SCOPUS:0031969699
SN - 0022-1899
VL - 177
SP - 1064
EP - 1068
JO - Journal of Infectious Diseases
JF - Journal of Infectious Diseases
IS - 4
ER -