Diagnosis of bacterial meningitis based on the measure of ROS production in a sample of cerebrospinal fluid

摘要

The present invention pertains to a method for in vitro diagnosing a bacterial infection in a biological fluid selected amongst cerebrospinal fluid, ascitic fluid, pericardial fluid, pleural fluid, urine and synovial fluid, based on the measure, in a sample of said fluid, of the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS); a high level of ROS production is indicative of the presence of activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in said fluid, which in turn is a hallmark of bacterial infection.

主权项

1. A method for in vitro diagnosing a meningitis in cerebrospinal fluid to distinguish between septic and aseptic meningitis, wherein said method comprises:
a) stimulating polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) present in a sample of said cerebrospinal fluid collected from a subject with an agonist of NADPH oxidase; and b) measuring the reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) present in the sample of cerebrospinal fluid after stimulation by the NADPH oxidase agonist using a chemiluminescent probe or a colorimetric reagent the color of which changes in presence of ROS, wherein the measure of ROS production by the PMNs present in the sample of cerebrospinal fluid is performed at most eight hours after sample collection, and wherein a ROS production above a predetermined threshold is indicative of a septic meningitis and non-indicative of aseptic meningitis.