Evaluation of cytokines and structural proteins to analyze the pathology of febrile central nervous system disease

This study was designed to examine the pathophysiological differences in interleukin (IL) and structural protein levels between central nervous system (CNS) disorders associated with heat stroke and CNS stimulants. We measured the concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and myelin basic protein (MBP) in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 87 autopsy cases. In addition, to examine changes in each marker, we cultured nerve cells at 40 °C as a heat stroke model and administered 4-aminopyridine and ephedrine in cultured cells as a CNS stimulant model. IL-6 levels in blood and CSF were significantly higher in the stimulant compared with the heat stroke group. IL-8 levels in blood and CSF were relatively high in the stimulant, heat stroke, and psychotropic addiction groups. NSE levels in blood were high in the stimulant and heat stroke groups, while those in CSF were significantly higher in the heat stroke group. MBP levels in blood were markedly higher in the stimulant and heat stroke groups, but no differences were seen in CSF. Compared with the CNS stimulant model, the heat stroke model with cultured human nerve cells showed high values for each marker. The results of the autopsy and laboratory tests in the present cases and those of cultured cell experiments indicated that CNS disorders caused by CNS stimulants such as amphetamines led to changes in IL-6 as an immune response, which suggests that IL-8 may help protect nerve cells in cases involving heat stroke and stimulants.