Transient elevation of interleukin‐16 levels at the initial stage of meningitis in children

Summary IL‐16 is an immunomodulatory cytokine that is characterized by chemotactic activity and stimulation of proinflammatory cytokine expression in monocytic cells. We studied IL‐16 using ELISA in children with meningitis. When meningeal symptoms existed, IL‐16 levels were high in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of both bacterial (939 ± 877 ng/l, n = 20) and aseptic (341 ± 371 ng/l, n = 23) meningitis. The values in the CSF were significantly higher than those in non‐meningitis controls (29 ± 8 ng/l, n = 22, P