Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0085437 (bacterial meningitis)
 4,038 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report a case of focal infection of the brain with cytomegalovirus (CMV) in a 14-year-old boy with metastatic lymphoepithelioma (nasopharyngeal carcinoma). Cytomegalovirus-bearing subependymal glia were only seen in the fourth ventricle, in close proximity to tumor cells, these were associated with an intense inflammatory cell exudate. The latter was due to enterococcal meningitis. There was no evidence of systemic CMV infection, and the typical encephalitis with glial nodules seen in acquired forms of the disease was lacking. We postulate that the infection gained access to the brain either with the tumor cells, which happened to carry CMV genome, or with virus-carrying polymorphonuclear leukocytes migrating to the bacterial meningitis. It is also possible that the proliferating subependymal glia were unduly susceptible to CMV when the host defense mechanisms were compromised.
 ...
PMID:Localized cytomegalovirus encephalitis contiguous to metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. 22 30

The presence of interleukin-8 (IL-8), a leukocyte chemotactic factor, was examined in primary and metastatic central nervous system tumors and in nonneoplastic acute meningoencephalitides. In vitro: (a) 11 of 12 glioblastoma cell lines constitutively expressed IL-8 mRNA; (b) 5 of 6 of these cell lines secreted IL-8 protein as detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a glucosaminidase release bioassay; and (c) IL-1 beta or tumor necrosis factor was able to augment both IL-8 mRNA steady state levels and protein secretion of all cell lines tested except IN-319. IL-8 was also found in vivo. (a) IL-8 poly A+ mRNA was detected in 2 of 2 low grade astrocytomas, 1 of 2 anaplastic astrocytomas, and 6 of 6 glioblastomas. (b) IL-8 protein was present in the cyst fluid of 1 of 4 low grade astrocytomas, 1 anaplastic astrocytoma, 2 of 2 glioblastomas, 1 oligodendroglioma grade III, and one central nervous system cervical carcinoma metastasis. (c) The cerebrospinal fluid of 3 of 4 metastatic lymphomas, 2 of 16 glioblastomas, 1 of 2 low grade astrocytomas, but none of 3 anaplastic astrocytomas and none of 9 meningiomas contained IL-8. The presence of IL-8 was not restricted to central nervous system tumors as 2 of 2 bacterial meningitis and 5 of 5 acute viral meningitis patients contained considerable IL-8 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid. (d) Immunohistochemical analysis showed IL-8 immunoreactivity in perivascular tumor cells in 11 of 15 glioblastoma sections. These data suggest that IL-8 secretion could be a key factor involved in the determination of the lymphoid infiltrates observed in brain tumors and the development of cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis in meningoencephalitides.
 ...
PMID:Interleukin-8 is produced in neoplastic and infectious diseases of the human central nervous system. 164 27

The complications associated with the use of Ommaya reservoirs in 106 patients with meningeal involvement due to malignant disease are reviewed. Twenty-seven patients had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 12 acute myelogenous leukemia, 3 chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 34 lymphoma, 29 carcinoma, and 1 chronic myelocytic leukemia. There were 11 technical complications, including 1 death due to misplacement of the catheter, 2 mild intraventricular hemorrhages, and 5 malfunctioning reservoirs; 3 required craniotomies (1 for subdural hematoma and 2 for subdural hygroma); 13 cases of bacterial meningitis occurred in 10 patients. One patient died of Staphylococcus aureus meningitis. The organisms causing the other infections were mainly coagulase-negative staphylococci (8 cases) or Propionibacterium acnes (2 cases). The projected infection rate for all patients (by Kaplan-Meier analysis) during the first year following insertion of a reservoir was 15%. Successful use of Ommaya reservoirs requires expert surgical implantation and meticulous care during accessing to minimize complications.
 ...
PMID:Complications associated with Ommaya reservoirs in patients with cancer. The Princess Margaret Hospital experience and a review of the literature. 240 79

A patient with recurrent carcinoma of the proximal esophagus after radiotherapy presented with bacterial meningitis. Esophagography and CT of the chest disclosed an esophagosubarachnoidal fistula extending between the ulcerated tumor, posterior mediastinum, and the thoracic spine.
 ...
PMID:CT demonstration of fistula between esophageal carcinoma and spinal canal. 374 62

Bacteroides fragilis is an obligate anaerobic bacillus residing in the normal intestinal flora of the colon. Anaerobic bacterial meningitis due to this pathogen is rarely diagnosed and if present, a predisposing source of infection should be actively sought for. Anaerobic cultures of cerebrospinal fluids should be done for patients with meningitis, especially those with concomitant pathologies that predispose to anaerobic infections. Two cases of anaerobic meningitis due to Bacteroides fragilis, one associated with cholesteotoma and the other with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, are reported. Both were successfully treated with metronidazole.
 ...
PMID:Bacteroides fragilis meningitis. 799 5

Bacterial meningitis was found in 12 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, accounting for 0.65% of the 1850 patients with the tumour diagnosed between 1981 and 1994 in our hospital. In 11 patients, the time-lag between diagnosis of cancer and the appearance of infection ranged from 9 months to 11 years (mean 57 months) whereas in one patient it was only 5 days. Three patients developed mixed bacterial meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid culture for bacteria was positive in six patients. Three patients (25%) were bacteraemic. Gram-negative bacilli, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were the most common pathogens. Age, sex and histopathology were not risk factors for infection. Conditions predisposing to meningitis included intracranial invasion of the tumor, neutropenia, otitis media, and neurosurgical procedures. All but two patients had intracranial tumour invasion and erosion of the base of the skull. Local spread of micro-organism to the meninges was more important than haematogenous spread. The overall mortality in our patients was 66.7%, much higher than in patients without cancer.
 ...
PMID:Bacterial meningitis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. 873 Mar 45

Mycobacterial infection has been recognized as a complication in patients with malignancy. Tuberculous (TB) meningitis has not been reported in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); it may have been overlooked or confused with the underlying malignancy or meningitis caused by other microorganisms. We describe the occurrence of culture-proven TB meningitis in 2 NPC patients. The time lag between the diagnosis of NPC and the occurrence of TB meningitis was 4 years in 1 patient and 6 years in the other. In both patients, the diagnosis of TB meningitis was delayed; they were initially treated for bacterial meningitis. Subsequent antituberculous chemotherapy was successful in 1 patient but failed in the other. Recognition of the infection is important for early diagnosis and proper treatment of this potentially fatal condition in patients with NPC.
 ...
PMID:Tuberculous meningitis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. 879 91

We report the case of a 69-year-old female who presented with headache, stiff neck, and decreased level of consciousness. Lumbar puncture results were typical of bacterial meningitis. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures showed Streptococcus bovis. Subsequent serologic studies indicated concurrent Strongyloides stercoralis infection, and larvae were visualized in two separate stool specimens. The patient responded to treatment of both infections. She refused to undergo colonoscopy despite a known association between Streptococcus bovis and colonic carcinoma.
 ...
PMID:Steptococcus bovis meningitis and sepsis associated with Strongyloidiasis in an immunocompetent patient. 1830 63