Background. Though peripheral blood is a crucial sample to study immunology, it is unclear whether the immune environment in the peripheral vasculature correlates with that at the end-organ site of infection. Using cryptococcal meningitis as a model, we investigated the correlation between serum and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers over time. Methods. We analyzed the cerebrospinal fluid and serum of 160 subjects presenting with first episode cryptococcal meningitis for soluble cytokines and chemokines measured by Luminex assay. Specimens were collected at meningitis diagnosis, 1-week, and 2-week post cryptococcal diagnosis. We compared paired samples by Spearman’s correlation and the value was set at <0.01. Results. Of the 21 analytes tested at baseline, there was no correlation detected between nearly all analytes. A weak negative correlation was found between serum and cerebrospinal fluid levels of interferon-gamma (; ) and interleukin-4 (; ). There was no correlation at 1-week post cryptococcal diagnosis. However, at 2-week post cryptococcal diagnosis, there was a weak positive correlation of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels (; ) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. No cytokine or chemokine showed consistent correlation overtime. Conclusion. Based on our analysis of 21 biomarkers, serum and cerebrospinal fluid immune responses do not correlate. There appears to be a distinct immune environment in terms of soluble biomarkers in the vasculature versus end-organ site of infection. While this is a model of HIV-related cryptococcal meningitis, we postulate that assuming the blood compartment is representative of the immune function at the end-organ site of infection may not be appropriate.

中文翻译：

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隐球菌性脑膜炎患者血液和脑脊液区室细胞因子和趋化因子之间的相关性


背景。尽管外周血是研究免疫学的重要样本，但尚不清楚外周脉管系统中的免疫环境是否与终末器官感染部位的免疫环境相关。使用隐球菌性脑膜炎作为模型，我们研究了血清和脑脊液生物标志物随时间变化的相关性。方法。我们分析了 160 名首发隐球菌性脑膜炎受试者的脑脊液和血清，通过 Luminex 测定检测可溶性细胞因子和趋化因子。在脑膜炎诊断时、隐球菌诊断后 1 周和 2 周收集样本。我们通过 Spearman 相关性比较配对样本，并将值设置为 <0.01。结果。在基线测试的 21 种分析物中，几乎所有分析物之间均未检测到相关性。 血清和脑脊液中干扰素-γ 水平之间存在弱负相关性（ ; )和白介素-4 ( ; ）。隐球菌诊断后 1 周没有相关性。 然而，在隐球菌诊断后 2 周，粒细胞-巨噬细胞集落刺激因子水平存在微弱的正相关性（ ; ）在血清和脑脊液中。随着时间的推移，没有细胞因子或趋化因子表现出一致的相关性。结论。根据我们对 21 种生物标志物的分析，血清和脑脊液免疫反应不相关。就脉管系统与终末器官感染部位的可溶性生物标志物而言，似乎存在独特的免疫环境。虽然这是 HIV 相关隐球菌脑膜炎的模型，但我们假设假设血液隔室代表感染终末器官部位的免疫功能可能并不合适。