Cerebrospinal fluid alterations in bacterial meningitis.

239 matched cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples of 50 patients with bacterial meningitis were investigated during the course of the disease. Special attention was drawn to thecal immunoglobulin (Ig) production, which was determined by Link's index and by Reiber's formula with a modification for IgM and IgA being more sensitive for these two Igs than Link's index. A correlation was found between the duration of local IgM production and the outcome of the disease.