Significance of Cerebrospinal Fluid C-reactive Protein Level in Pyogenic and Non-pyogenic Meningitis in Adults

acute infections at sites other than central nervous system, patients with severe hepatic dysfunction, females on oral contraceptives and intrauterine devices, patients with severe dyslipidaemias and patients on steroids were not included in the study as these factors independently affect CRP levels 7-11 . A total 45 patients were included in the study. They were divided into three groups. The first group included patients with pyogenic meningitis; the second group included patients with non-pyogenic meningitis which was based on detailed history, clinical examination, and CSF analysis; and the third group included age and sex matched controls. CRP levels were measured by immunoturbidometric analysis (Figs. 1 and 2). The statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software (Version 11). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test the difference between groups. In the above test, the " p " value less than 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. The results were tabulated and graphically represented using Microsoft Word 2007. Results The mean age in pyogenic, non-pyogenic, and control group was 46.41 years, 39.26 years, and 42.66 years respectively. The male-to-female ratio in each group is described in Table I which compares the three groups on gender parameter.