W Kucharska | PubMed Health

PubMed1998

[The thyroid function in children with viral meningitis].

Thyroid function was investigated in children affected with viral meningitis caused by Mumpsvirus or enteroviruses. Serum or plasma levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroxine (T4) and free thyroxine (FT4) were measured twice in course of the disease: at admission and at recovery (day 10-14 from the onset of illness). The levels of hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) or by enzyme linked fluorescent assay (ELFA). A decrease in serum or plasma concentrations of TSH, T3, FT3 and T4 (T4--only when measured by RIA) was found at the beginning of illness as compared to the controls, which indicates the low-T3 syndrome in children with viral meningitis. These disturbances were present also at recovery. When comparing thyroid function in children suffering from bacterial and viral meningitis, a more significant decrease in the levels of thyroid hormones (especially T3 and FT3) was found at the beginning of bacterial than viral meningitis. Un resolved questions are the causes and the importance of low-T3 syndrome in children with viral meningitis.

English Abstract↗

PubMed1998

[The thyroid function in children with purulent meningitis].

Purulent meningitis (BM) is a complex process and its outcome is largely influenced by host's response, both inflammatory or endocrine, to the infection. In this study thyroid function in children with BM was investigated by measuring serum or plasma levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroxine (T4) and free thyroxine (FT4) 3 times in course of the disease: at admission, after 24-48 hrs. of treatment and at recovery (day 10-14 from the onset of the disease). The levels of hormones were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) or by enzyme linked fluorescent assay (ELFA). A decrease in serum or plasma concentrations of all measured hormones was found at the beginning of BM as compared to the controls. This indicates the low T4 variant of sick euthyroid syndrome in children with BM, which usually occurs in seriously ill patients. The levels of measured hormones rose at recovery in comparison to their initial values, but T3 concentrations and TSH (TSH - measured by RIA) were still lower in comparison to the controls. Serum T3 concentrations were significantly lower in children with sequelae of BM than in children who recovered without sequelae. This indicates a possible adverse effect of disturbed thyroid function resulting in low-T3 syndrome on the outcome from BM. An adjunctive anti-inflammatory treatment with dexamethasone started 10-15 minutes before the first antibiotic dose and, given every 12 hrs in a dose of 0.4 mg/kg for 2 days, it resulted in greater decrease in T3, FT3, T4 and FT4 plasma levels in comparison to non-steroid treated children.

English Abstract↗