Correlation of CSF neuroinflammatory molecules with leptomeningeal cortical subcortical white matter fractional anisotropy in neonatal meningitis

It has been previously hypothesized that the high fractional anisotropy (FA) values in leptomeningeal cortical subcortical white matter (LCSWM) regions of neonatal brain with bacterial meningitis is due to the presence of adhesion molecules in the subarachnoid space, which are responsible for adherence of inflammatory cells over the subarachnoid membrane. The aim of this study was to look for any relationship between FA values in LCSWM regions and various neuroinflammatory molecules (NMs) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measured in neonates with bacterial meningitis. Diffusion tensor imaging was performed on 18 term neonates (median age, 10.5 days) having bacterial meningitis and 10 age-/sex-matched healthy controls. CSF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to quantify NMs [soluble intracellular adhesion molecules (sICAM), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β)]. Significantly increased FA values were observed in LCSWM regions of the patients compared to controls. A significant positive correlation was observed between FA values in LCSWM regions and NMs [sICAM (r=0.67, P=.006), TNF-α (r=0.69, P=.005) and IL-1β (r=0.82, P=.000)] in CSF of these patients. No difference in FA values (P=.99) in LCSWM regions was observed between patients with sterile (0.12±0.02) and culture-positive CSF study (0.12±0.02). FA may be used as noninvasive surrogate marker of NMs in neonatal meningitis in assessing therapeutic response in future.