Cerebrospinal fluid nitric oxide levels in childhood bacterial meningitis

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in childhood bacterial meningitis was investi gated by determining the levels of nitrate/nitrite, stable end products of NO metabolism, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Eighteen children with bacteri al meningitis and 18 as a control group were included in the study. Mean (/- SD) CSF nitrate/nitrite levels were 27.6 +/- 26 mu mol/l in the bacteria l meningitis group and 3.2 +/- 1.8 mu mol/l in the control group (p = 0.000 5). We found no correlation between CSF nitrate/nitrite levels and CSF whit e blood cell count (r = 0.22), protein (r = 0.26) or tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels (r = 0.046), but a moderate negative correlation between CSF nitrate/nitrite and glucose levels (r = -0.46).