Cerebrospinal fluid findings in mycoplasma pneumoniae infections with neurological complications

Abstract

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings of 16 patients with mycoplasma pneumoniae infections and different neurologic complications are presented. In acute meningitis there was predominantly a mononuclear cell reaction remitting in accordance with the improvement of the clinical symptoms. An early switch from IgM to IgG was observed. In cranial nerve neuritis and radiculitis in the beginning complement factors were decreased. Far beyond the clinical remission IgM and cell count were elevated. In Guillain-Barré-syndrome no IgM but increased IgG levels were detectable. In all patients both CSF IgM and IgG markedly exceeded the corresponding serum values. The possibility that different pathogenetic mechanisms are underlying these phenomena depending on the actual state of the hosts' immunity is discussed.