Leukotriene B4 and C4 in cerebrospinal fluid from children with meningitis and febrile seizures.

Concentrations of immunoreactive leukotriene C4 (LTC4) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in the cerebrospinal fluid from 18 patients with aseptic meningitis, including 2 patients with encephalitis and 4 patients with febrile seizures, were measured by a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay; these results were compared with those from control subjects. The concentrations of both LTC4 and LTB4 were elevated significantly in patients with meningitis (LTC4: 115.6 +/- 47.7 pg/ml; LTB4: 1,603.0 +/- 273.5 pg/ml; n = 18) compared to controls (LTC4: 83.2 +/- 21.6 pg/ml; LTB4: 1,219.3 +/- 161.5 pg/ml; n = 12; P < .05 and P < .01, respectively). However, there was no significant increase in LT levels in patients with febrile seizures. These findings suggest that LTs may play an important role in the inflammatory response induced by viral infections of the central nervous system.