1604 PROSTAGLANDIN LEVELS IN THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID OF INFANTS AND CHILDREN WITH FEVER

Abstract

It has been proposed that central nervous system (CNS) prostaglandins (PG) may be mediators of fever. In some animal models, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PGE is elevated in pyrogen-induced fever; and the intraventricular injection of PGE results in a febrile response. To investigate the role of (NS Prostaglandins in fever, PGE and PGF₂α concentrations were measured by radio-immunoassay in the CSF of 16 pediatric patients who were febrile (average temp. 39.0°C). They were free of CNS disease and were on no prostaglandin synthetase inhibiting drugs. Their values were compared to those of 19 patients who were neither febrile or on prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors. The following results (mean ± SEM) were obtained:

There were no significant differences in the CSF levels of either PGE or PGF₂α between the febrile and the afebrile groups. These observations do not support the hypothesis that CNS prostaglandins mediate fever.

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