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Evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid adenosine deaminase activity for the differential diagnosis of tuberculous and nontuberculous meningitis
The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 08/16/2012
Sun QMM et al. – The determination of adenosine deaminase (ADA) with a cutoff value of 9.5 U/L in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a useful aid for the differential diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and non–TBM. Moreover, dynamic monitoring of CSF ADA activity may be an indicator for evaluating antitubercular therapy in TBM.
Methods- CSF ADA activity in patients with different types of meningitis was measured by Trinder enzyme–coupled assay.
- The mean CSF ADA values in the patients with TBM, bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, cryptococcal meningitis and noninfectious neurologic disorders were 14.1 ± 5.4, 9.6 ± 5.5, 4.3 ± 2.5, 7.8 ± 3.4 and 2.6 ± 1.3 U/L, respectively.
- CSF ADA activity was significantly higher in TBM compared with patients with non–TBM (P < 0.05).
- Moreover, the best cutoff point for differentiating between TBM and non–TBM was 9.5 U/L.
- In addition, CSF ADA activity was decreased in patients with TBM after antitubercular therapy in a time–dependent manner.
