Cerebrospinal fluid content of adenylate kinase, lactate and glutathione in patients with meningitis.

Adenylate kinase activity and lactate concentration were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 5 patients with bacterial meningitis, of 4 patients with probable bacterial meningitis, and of 18 patients with serous meningitis. Furthermore, for comparison measurements were also performed in CSF of 27 patients with meningism. Concomitantly glutathione was measured in CSF in most of the patients. Significantly higher values of these 3 parameters were found in the CSF of patients with bacterial and probable bacterial meningitis compared with those having serous meningitis and meningism. Adenylate kinase activity and lactate concentration in patients with serous meningitis were significantly higher than in those with meningism. All patients with a clinical diagnosis of meningitis studied so far also displayed an adenylate kinase activity in their CSF. The determination of adenylate kinase, lactate and glutathione levels in CSF might be a useful aid for the diagnosis not only of meningitis but also for the discrimination between bacterial and serous meningitis.