Abstract

Aim

The aim of the study was to determine HMGB-1 concentration in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients suffering from tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and neuroborreliosis (NB). We focused on HMGB-1 measurement in CSF or sera in order to establish whether it could help to differentiate between NB and TBE.

Methods

80 patients with meningitis and meningoencephalitis were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I - patients with NB (n = 40) and Group II - patients with TBE (n = 40). Diagnosis was made basing on the clinical picture, CSF examination and specific antibodies presence in serum and CSF. The control group for the evaluation of the parameters in serum were healthy blood donors (n = 25), while control group for evaluation of CSF consisted of patients with excluded CNS inflammatory process. Concentrations of HMGB-1 was measured by ELISA method using commercial kit [HMGB-1 Elisa Kit, (EIAab, China)]. The results were statistically analyzed using STATISTICA 10, Gretl, ROC, Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results and Conclusions

HMGB-1 is associated with the development of inflammatory process in the CNS caused by both tick-borne pathogens: viral (TBE) and bacterial (Lyme borreliosis). Measurement of serum HMGB-1 concentration in the early stages of both diseases of CNS may contribute to the differentiation between TBE and NB, which may have clinical impact for patients bitten by ticks.