抄録
The analysis of both the numbers and subsets of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) -infiltrating leukocytes is useful for the diagnosis of meningitis ; however, the precise mechanism of leukocyte infiltration into the CSF has not been determined. Adhesion molecules play important roles in the recruitment of leukocytes to the site of inflammation. We therefore investigated the expression of the adhesion molecule L-selectin and its ligand sialyl Lewis X (sLex) on infiltrating CSF leukocytes. The CSF leukocytes from ten patients, including 6 cases of viral, 3 of bacterial, and 1 of tuberculous meningitis were examined by flow cytometry. In general, the ratios of cells positive for L-selectin and sLe X were higher in bacterial than in viral meningitis. In tuberculous meningitis, the expression of sLex was elevated in lymphocytes. The expression profiles of adhesion molecules on CSF leukocytes were different for each type of meningitis. Although we could not draw any definite conclusions from this study because of the limited number of patients, the range of molecular profiles on CSF leukocytes for different infectious agents might reflect differences in the activation and migration mechanisms of the leukocytes in the various meningitides.
