ABSTRACT
Interleukin 10 is known to suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines in vitro and murine models of endotoxemia. It has been suggested as a candidate for the treatment of bacterial septicemia.The aim of this work was to study the role of IL-10 in meningococal meningitis and correlates its levels in serum and CSF with the disease outcome. CSF and serum samples were collected at time of admission from thirty patients [19 males and 11 females] with verified meningococal meningitis. The ages of patients ranged between 10-58 years with a mean of 3l.8 years. Patients were later classified according to disease outcome into two groups: survivors [1 4 males and 8 females] and fatalities [5 males and 3 females]. CSF and serum samples were also collected from 10 subjects who served as controls. The control group included both positive and negative controls with disease conditions of comparable gravity to meningococcal meningitis [3 with non infectious neurological diseases i.e, subarachnoid haemorrhage, trauma and cerebrovascular accident,4 with meningitis not due to menirtgococci and 3 with septicemia i.e, post operative, diabetes mellitus with sepsis and puerperal sepsis]. The difference between patients group and controls group is statistically sign as regards IL-10 levels in serum and CSF. IL-10 has a role in defining the outcome of meningococcal meningitis,however the protective effect of IL-10 is statistically conceivable only if it is preferentially compartmentalized in the subarachnoid space