Assessment of the demyelinating process activity in patients with herpesviral meningitis and meningoencephalitis based on the level of myelin basic protein (MBP) in the cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract

The aim: To study the peculiarities of demyelination by detection of changes in the levels of myelin basic protein (MBP) in CSF of patients with acute herpesviral meningitis (M) and meningoencephalitis (ME). Materials and methods: A total of 136 CSF samples from 68 patients with herpesviral M and ME were collected. The control group consisted of patients with acute respiratory infection and meningismus. MBP level in CSF was identified at the admission and after 10-12 days of treatment. Analysis of MBP concentrations in CSF was performed using an enzyme immunoassay. Results: Examination of patients on the first day of hospitalization showed the presence of a significant increase of MBP in the CSF in all patients with viral M/ME compared with the indicators of the comparison group (р<0.01). In all groups of patients with ME, the level of MBP in CSF was significantly higher than the indicators of comparison group and M groups of the suitable etiology of the disease (p<0.01). In patients with lethal outcome, the MBP level was significantly higher (p<0.01) than in all meningitis groups, but we did not find a significant difference with the patients with ME (p>0.05). Conclusions: The increase of MBP level identified in patients with acute M/ME confirms the presence of the demyelinating process that occurs in all patients, but it is more pronounced in patients with ME.