A prospective study from a tertiary care facility in North India on the function of vascular endothelial growth factor in tuberculous meningitis

Abstract

The part that vascular endothelial-derived growth factor (VEFG) plays in the onset of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is still mostly unknown. We evaluated the role of VEFG in serum and CSF in TBM prospectively. PARTICIPATES AND METHODS: In this prospective study, researchers observed patients at a hospital in northern India from January 2018 to June 2019. 82 consecutive drug-naive
TBM patients who were diagnosed using modified Ahuja's criteria were included in the study. 49 healthy controls (n = 49) were used to compare the results. Serum and cerebral fluid levels of VEFG were assessed in both patients and controls. 34 patients had their blood VEFG levels rechecked three months after completing antitubercular therapy. The levels of VEFG were determined using the human VEFG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.29.9 ± 13.1 years was the average age. These are the outcomes. The study group consisted of 33 men and 49 women (59.8% and 40.2%, respectively). Seventy-three patients (89%) had positive multiplex TB polymerase chain reaction tests, while thirteen patients (18%) had positive BACTEC MGIT960 tests. Patients with TBM did not have greater levels of VEFG in their serum or cerebrospinal fluid than the control group. Serum VEFG level declines during follow-up were not linked to the final result in TBM. In conclusion, VEFG may not have a major role in the emergence of TBM. Future studies with larger sample numbers could be able to clarify the VEFG status in TBM further