Predictors of cerebrospinal fluid GeneXpert MTB/RIF positivity in patients with tuberculous meningitis:A prospective cohort study

Objective:To identify the clinical,laboratory,and radiological markers that could predict a positive GeneXpert result in patients suspected of tuberculous meningitis.Methods:In this prospective,observational study,patients with tuberculous meningitis were systematically evaluated.Various clinical,laboratory[including cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)microscopy,culture,and GeneXpert],and neuroimaging factors were examined.All participants were administered anti-tuberculous treatment and corticosteroids.A six-month follow-up was done to evaluate the outcome.Results:Of the 116 patients studied,54(46.6%)tested positive for GeneXpert,while 62(53.4%)were negative.Third cranial nerve involvement(OR 3.71,95%CI 1.052-13.09,P=0.04)and the presence of basal exudates on neuroimaging(OR 5.22,95%CI 2.03-13.42,P=0.001)emerged as independent predictive factors for a positive GeneXpert result.A positive CSF GeneXpert result(P=0.002)and drug resistance(P=0.004)were significantly linked to adverse outcomes.Additionally,a high score on the Medical Research Council stageⅢ(OR 5.64,95%CI 1.18-26.87,P=0.03)and elevated CSF cell counts(OR 1.002,95%CI 1.00-1.001,P=0.03)were identified as independent predictors of poor prognosis.Conclusions:Third cranial nerve involvement and the presence of basal exudates were significant indicators of a positive GeneXpert result.MRC stageⅢdisability and elevated CSF cell counts predicted poor outcomes.

Levels of soluble delta-like ligand 1 in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of tuberculous meningitis patients

In this study, the levels of soluble delta-like ligand 1 in cerebmspinal fluid and serum of 50 patients with tuberculous meningitis, 30 patients with viral meningitis, 20 patients with purulent meningitis and 40 subjects without central nervous system disease were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mean levels of soluble delta-like ligand 1 in both cerebrospinal fluid and serum from patients with tuberculous meningitis were significantly higher compared with those from patients with viral meningitis or purulent meningitis or from subjects without central nervous system disease. Meanwhile, the level of soluble delta-like ligand 1 gradually decreased as tuberculous meningitis patients recovered. If patients deteriorated after treatment, the level of soluble delta-like ligand 1 in cerebrospinal fluid gradually increased. There was no correlation between the level of soluble delta-like ligand 1 and the protein level/cell number in cerebrospinal fluid. Our findings indicate that the levels of soluble delta-like ligand 1 in cerebrospinal fluid and serum are reliable markers for the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis and for monitoring treatment progress. At the same time, this index is not influenced by protein levels or cell numbers in cerebrospinal fluid.

Two Cases of Tuberculous Meningitis after Cesarean Section

This article revealed two valuable case reports about two young females suffered tuberculous meningitis after cesarean section.After antituberculous therapy,the condition of one patient improved and the other one became deteriorated.

Tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis in Iran:A review

In recent years,the number of cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Iran has increased.The goal of this study was to determine the epidemiological status,clinical symptoms,diagnostic methods,and treatment strategies of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Iran,with a focus on tuberculosis meningitis and miliary tuberculosis.Between January 1,2000 and June 1,2021,1651 cases of tuberculosis meningitis and miliary tuberculosis were discovered in Iran.The prevalence of tuberculosis meningitis was higher in Sistan and Baluchestan,South Khorasan,and Mazandaran compared with other provinces.The most prevalent symptoms of tuberculous meningitis were fever,anorexia,headache,neck stiffness,loss of consciousness,and vomiting.The most commonly used procedures for diagnosing tuberculous meningitis were polymerase chain reaction and cerebrospinal fluid culture.The most prevalent clinical symptoms of miliary tuberculosis were fever,lethargy,weariness,and anorexia.In 70%of chest radiographs,a miliary pattern was visible.Bone marrow biopsy was used to diagnose miliary tuberculosis in 80%of patients,while bronchoalveolar lavage was used in 20%of cases.The conventional 6-month treatment approach for tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis was used for all of the participants in the investigations.Given the high prevalence of extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients in Iran and the devastating consequences of the disease,the researchers recommend that further study be done to prevent extrapulmonary tuberculosis in the general population.

Changes of insulin-like growth factor-Ⅱ and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 in cerebrospinal fluid of children with tuberculous meningitis

BACKGROUND： Recent studies have found that insulin-like growth factors （IGFs） and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 （IGFBP-3） have stronger neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. But whether their levels in cerebrospinal fluid could be used as an auxiliary indicator in differentially diagnosing tuberculous meningitis and viral encephalitis is not yet clear. OBJECTIVE： To explore the changes of insulin-like growth factor-Ⅱ （IGF-Ⅱ ） and IGFBP-3 in cerebrospinal fluid （CSF） of children with tuberculous meningitis and the significance of the changes. DESIGN： A non-randomized concurrent controlled study. SETTING： Department of Pediatric Internal Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College. PARTICIPANTS： Thirty children with tuberculous meningitis （14 males and 16 females） were selected from the Department of Pediatric Internal Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from January 2005 to December 2006. Tuberculous meningitis was diagnosed according to their clinical manifestations, the history of close contact with tuberculosis, typical cerebrospinal fluid changes of tuberculous meningitis, positive tuberculosis antibody and effective antituberculosis treatment. There were 30 children （13 males and 17 females） with viral encephalitis, and viral encephalitis was diagnosed according to epidemiological history, clinical manifestations, conventional and biochemical changes of cerebrospinal fluid, and negative bacteriology judgment. Meanwhile, 30 children （13 males and 17 females） without infectious and central nervous system disease were selected as the control group. Informed consent was obtained from the parents of all the enrolled children. METHODS： ①The lumbar puncture operation was implemented immediately to obtain cerebrospinal fluid （3 mL）. The contents of IGF-Ⅱ and IGFBP-3 were detected with immunoradiometric assay. The concentrations of glucose and protein in cerebrospinal fluid were determined with a dry-chemical method. The number of white blood cells was counted by Fushi Method. ②The Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of the contents of IGF-Ⅱ and IGFBP-3 in cerebrospinal fluid with the leucocyte counting and the concentrations of glucose and protein in cerebrospinal fluid. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The contents of IGF- Ⅱ and IGFBP-3 in cerebrospinal fluid, and their correlation with the leucocyte counting and the concentrations of glucose and protein in cerebrospinal fluid. RESULTS： ①Contents of IGF-Ⅱ and IGFBP-3 in cerebrospinal fluid： The contents of IGF-Ⅱ and IGFBP-3 in cerebrospinal fluid in the tuberculous meningitis group were significantly higher than those in the encephalitis virus group and control group （P 〈 0.05）. There was no significant difference in the contents of IGF- Ⅱ and IGFBP-3 in cerebrospinal fluid between the viral encephalitis group and control group （P 〉 0.05）. ②Correlation： The IGF- Ⅱ and IGFBP-3 contents in cerebrospinal fluid were positively correlated with the protein concentration in cerebrospinal fluid （r =0.821, 0.855, P 〈 0.01）, but negatively with the glucose （r =0.742, - 0.605, P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION- ①IGFs and IGVBPs are involved in the pathophysiological process of tuberculous meningitis, as well as the glucose and protein metabolism in cerebrospinal fluid. ②The IGF-Ⅱ and IGFBP-3 contents in cerebrospinal fluid can be used as the auxiliary indicators to differentially diagnose tuberculous meningitis and viral enceohalitis.

结核性脑膜炎(Tuberculous meningitis)的治疗

结核性脑膜炎(结脑)是一严重的疾病。1946年抗结核药物出现前,结脑患者几乎全部死亡。近代抗痨治疗虽然有进步,但疗效仍然不满意,多留后遗症。治疗原则1.尽量早期治疗。只要疑及结脑,即刻开始抗结核治疗。2.选用一联合易透过血脑屏障的抗结核方案。3.余同肺结核的抗痨治疗原则。

Bilateral optic nerve infiltration in tuberculous meningitis: A diagnostic dilemma

Rationale:Tuberculous meningitis(TBM)is severe extrapulmonary tuberculosis that can cause poor outcomes without timely treatment.We report a case of presumed TBM that presented solely ocular complaints without other neurological features.Patient's concerns:A 71-year-old man presented with a sudden central visual defect in both eyes for 10 days.Fundoscopy showed bilateral hyperaemic swelling disc with infiltrates.Diagnosis:A diagnosis of presumptive TBM was made with Mantoux test reading 15 mm,elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate,subdural effusion on CT scan,and high opening pressure.Intervention:Anti-tuberculous treatment.Outcomes:Bilateral vision improved and optic discs swelling resolved.Lessons:Early recognition of TBM with optic nerve infiltration is crucial for prompt treatment that may lead to a good prognosis.Neuroimaging will facilitate the diagnosis when other investigations show a borderline result.

Tuberculous Meningitis and COVID-19 Co-Infection: About a Case

We report the case of an adult patient diagnosed with acute SARS-CoV-2-associated meningoencephalitis based on the detection of its RNA on a nasopharyngeal swab, cerebrospinal fluid analysis. The most destructive type of extrapulmonary tuberculosis is tuberculous meningitis, in which the consequences are severe, resulting in death or disability in almost half of all sufferers despite anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and paraclinical features and laboratory findings and outcome of a patient with tuberculous meningitis and COVID-19 coinfection. Infection of COVID-19 and lymphopenia promotes the development of the severe form of tuberculosis. On the other hand, TBM increased the risk of infection with coronavirus due to the weakened immune system in addition to other immunosuppressive factors (older age and comorbidities such as low socioeconomic status and malnutrition). The patient had a good recovery even if he required intensive neurorehabilitation for a month due to poor feeding and weakness. Treatment, both anti-mycobacterial and anti-inflammatory, early started, guaranteed good recovery.

Application Research of Detailed Nursing of Tuberculous Meningitis Patients

Objective:To explore the application effect of detailed nursing in tuberculous meningitis nursing.Methods:A total of 52 patients with tuberculous meningitis who were admitted to our hospital from May 2019 to February 2022 were selected as the research objects,and divided into 25 patients in the control group and 27 patients in the study group according to the random table method,and the compliance,quality of life,recurrence,nursing satisfaction,depression,anxiety and PSQI scores of the two groups were observed and analyzed.Results:In the study group,the number of patients with complete compliance,partial compliance and non-compliance were 13,11 and 3,respectively,and the compliance rate was 88.89%.In the control group,the number of patients with complete compliance,partial compliance and non-compliance were 11,5 and 9,respectively,and the compliance rate was 67.86%,and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.The quality-of-life score of the control group was 48.36±2.24,which was lower than that of the study group,50.23±2.12,(P<0.05).The rate of recurrence of the control group was 36.00%,which was significantly higher than 7.41%in the study group(P<0.05).There was no significant statistical difference between the SAS,SDS,and PSQI scores of the two groups before nursing,(P>0.05).After nursing,both groups showed a decrease in SDS and SAS scores,with the study group showing significantly lower scores than the control group(P<0.001).Besides,the PSQI dimension scores and total score in the study group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.001).Moreover,the nursing satisfaction of the patients in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group(93.02%>71.79%),(P<0.05).Conclusion:A full range of detailed care is not only helpful for accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients,but also helps to create a satisfactory hospital environment for patients.Results from this study showed that detailed nursing care for patients with tuberculous meningitis shows a significant positive effect and should be applied in clinical practices.

Diagnostic Value of Cerebrospinal Fluid T-SPOT.TB for Tuberculousis Meningitis in China

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of the cerebrospinal fluid（CSF） T‐SPOT.TB test for the diagnosis of TB meningitis（TBM）. A retrospective analysis of 96 patients with manifested meningitis was conducted; T‐SPOT.TB test was performed for diagnosing TBM to determine the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value（PPV）, and negative predictive value（NPV）. A receiver operating characteristic（ROC） curve was also drawn to assess the diagnostic accuracy. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of CSF T‐SPOT.TB test were 97.8%, 78.0%, 80.3%, and 97.5%, respectively, for 52 patients（54.2%） of the 96 enrolled patients. The area under the curve（AUC） was 0.910, and the sensitivities of CSF T‐SPOT.TB for patients with stages I, II, and III of TBM were 96.7%, 97.2%, and 98.9%, respectively. CSF T‐SPOT.TB test is a rapid and accurate diagnostic method with higher sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing TBM.

The prevalence,characteristics and outcome of seizure in tuberculous meningitis

Seizures are a common finding in patients with tuberculous meningitis(TBM),and associate with four times increased risk of death and neurological disability,especially in children.It has been reported that brain inflammation,diffuse neuronal injury,and reactive gliosis may all contribute to the pathogenesis of seizures in TBM.Early seizure onset may be associated with meningeal irritation and cerebral oedema;while,the late seizures are usually due to infarction,hydrocephalus,tuberculoma and paradoxical response.Moreover,recurrent uncontrolled seizures can evolve to status epileptics resulting in an increased risk of chronic epilepsy and poor prognosis.Therefore,this review aimed to assess the frequency of seizures in patients with TBM,and discuss the etiologies,mechanisms,and characteristics of seizures in TBM.Besides,we have searched the literature to identify the prognostic factors for chronic epilepsy after TBM.

Analytical Optimization of GeneXpert Ultra for Detection of Tuberculosis in CSF Samples

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in extrapulmonary specimens can be challenging due to their paucibacillary nature. This difficulty is especially true for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the low sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis hampers rapid detection and treatment in vulnerable populations. GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra has been shown to provide rapid results for detection of MTBC and associated Rifampin resistance, but there is limited data regarding standardized methods for CSF processing on this assay. In this study, we sought to provide guidance regarding the best methods for CSF processing, including optimal volumes to test, length of incubation with sample reagent and finally effects of long-term freezing on detection.

Malignant middle-cerebral artery territory infarction in tuberculous vasculitis

Intracranial large vessel involvement is an unusual complication of tuberculous meningitis.The authors report a 39-year-old female presenting with an episode of seizure,followed by rapid decline in sensorium without prominent systemic features.An initial cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed tuberculomata and patchy infarcts.Despite antituberculous therapy,she progressively worsened.A cranial computed tomography scan done following the worsening revealed a massive middle-cerebral artery(MCA)infarct.Unfortunately,the patient died in spite of decompressive craniotomy.Malignant MCA territory infarct is a rare and potentially fatal complication of tuberculous meningitis.