Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic significance of immune cells and biochemical markers in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of patients with brucella meningitis. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data from 30 patients with Brucella meningitis (Group A), 30 patients with Brucella infection without neurological impairment (Group B), and 30 cases of non-brucella infection (Group C) that were collected from the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region between January 2020 and December 2022. The levels of immune cells and biochemical markers in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood were compared between the three groups. Spearman correlation coefficient, logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to assess the association between these factors and Brucella meningitis and to determine their diagnostic value. RESULTS: A negative correlation was found between Brucella meningitis and CD3(+), CD4(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+) T lymphocytes, glucose (C-Glu), and chloride ions (C-Cl) in the cerebrospinal fluid. Conversely, a positive correlation was observed between Brucella meningitis and blood CD4(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells, cerebrospinal fluid protein (C-Pro), and lactate dehydrogenase (C-LDH). High levels of C-Glu and C-Cl were identified as protective factors, while elevated C-LDH was considered as a risk factor for Brucella meningitis. The area under the curve (AUC) for C-Glu, C-Cl, C-LDH, and their combination in predicting Brucella meningitis were 0.828, 0.860, 0.869, and 0.971, respectively. CONCLUSION: The levels of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, as well as the levels of CD4(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) cells in the blood, are correlated with the occurrence of Brucella meningitis. C-Glu, C-Cl, C-LDH and their combination demonstrate significant potential in aiding the auxiliary diagnosis of Brucellosis meningitis.