Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical characteristics of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the clinical significance of β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), adenosine deaminase (ADA), matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP-9) and MMP-9/ tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1(TIMP-1) in cerebrospinal fluid.
METHODS Totally 208 cases of meningitis admitted to Guiyang Public Health Treatment Center, Guiyang First People′s Hospital and Guiyang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from Oct. 2021 to Apr. 2024 were divided into the TBM group (n=84), purulent meningitis (PM) group (n=61) and viral meningitis (VM) group (n=63) according to the final clinical diagnosis. Based on the severity, TBM patients were divided into three groups: the stage Ⅰ(n=33), Ⅱ (n=30) and Ⅲ group (n=21). The levels of β2-MG, ADA, MMP-9, MMP-9/TIMP-1 among different groups were compared, their correlations with the disease severity and diagnostic values for TBM caused by M. tuberculosis were analyzed.
RESULTS Among the TBM, PM and VM group, the levels of β2-MG, ADA, MMP-9 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 in cerebrospinal fluid of the TBM group were the highest, followed by the PM and VM group (P < 0.05). Among the stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ group, the levels of β2-MG, ADA, MMP-9, MMP-9/TIMP-1 in cerebrospinal fluid of the stage Ⅲ group were the highest, followed by stage Ⅱ and Ⅰ group (P < 0.05). The levels of β2-MG, ADA, MMP-9 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 in cerebrospinal fluid were positively correlated with the severity of the disease (P < 0.05). The area under the diagnostic curve (AUC) of the combination of β2-MG, ADA, MMP-9 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 in cerebrospinal fluid was higher than that of single detection for TBM caused by M. tuberculosis (P < 0.05), with the sensitivity and specificity 84.52% and 95.08%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS The levels of β2-MG, ADA, MMP-9, MMP-9/TIMP-1 in cerebrospinal fluid are related to the occurrence of TBM and PM, even to the severity of TBM. The combined detection of the four indices has relatively high diagnostic value for TBM caused by M. tuberculosis.