Oxidative stress and myeloperoxidase activity during bacterial meningitis: effects of febrile episodes and the BBB permeability.

Objective: To investigate participation of extracellular myeloperoxidase (MPO) in oxidative stress during different courses of the bacterial meningitis (BM).

Materials And Methods: We sequentially assessed WBC count, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lipid peroxidation (LPO), MPO and antioxidative activity (AOA) in proven pediatric BM.

Results: BM patients exhibited increased systemic and local LPO and MPO, and reduced AOA, which was exaggerated in the febrile episodes. Serum MPO and LPO products were related to the BBB permeability at the baseline. CSF hydroperoxide level was influenced by the BBB permeability, CSF albumin concentration, and serum hydroperoxide (r=0.502; p<0.001, and r=0.611; p<0.001, and r=0.358; p<0.001, respectively). CSF hydroperoxide and MPO correlated in complicated cases during the study.

Conclusions: These results suggest that CSF LPO and MPO were closely related in BM, had different courses if febrile episodes had occurred, but were partly influenced by the BBB permeability.