Elevation of cAMP levels in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neonatal meningitis.

The cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of 20 children with neonatal bacterial meningitis and aseptic meningitis were measured by radioimmunoassay method. The cAMP levels were found to be significantly elevated above control levels (P less than .01) during the acute phase in most of the patients. In the convalescent stage the cAMP concentration was decreased but levels remained significantly elevated (P less than .01) in patients with complications. During the acute phase, the cAMP levels were higher in neonatal bacterial meningitis than in aseptic meningitis (P less than .01). The results suggest that cAMP is a sensitive indicator of transient cellular metabolic disturbance in the brain and may be used to monitor the course of neonatal meningitis.