Prostaglandin F2 alpha concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with febrile convulsions, epilepsy and meningitis.

Cerebrospinal fluid prostaglandin F2 alpha (CSF PGF2 alpha) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in children as follows: Febrile convulsions (31 cases), epilepsies (32 cases), meningitides (31 cases) and non-neurological diseases (20 cases), totaling 114 cases. A 4.5-fold increase in CSF PGF2 alpha levels was seen in simple febrile convulsion, and a 2.5-fold increase in those with complex febrile convulsion as compared to those with non-neurological diseases. On the other hand, no increase in CSF PGF2 alpha levels was seen in children with epilepsy. When the body temperature was normal, the mean CSF PGF2 alpha levels showed no relation with age. When the body temperature was between 37.5 degrees C and 40 degrees C, the CSF PGF2 alpha levels in infants were higher than those in older children. The CSF PGF2 alpha levels in children with meningitis were high. The mean CSF PGF2 alpha levels in bacterial meningitis were not statistically (p greater than 0.05) different from those in viral meningitis. The CSF PGF2 alpha levels in meningitis were high on admission and gradually decreased with therapy. The results of our studies indicate that PGF2 alpha of the central nervous system markedly increased in infants and children with febrile convulsions or meningitis but not in those with epilepsy.