[Fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with meningococcal infections (author's transl)].

Fibrin degradation products (FDP) D and E, total protein, cell count, and alpha-1-antitrypsin levels have been measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and FDP-D and E, and alpha-1-antitrypsin analyzed in serum in 13 cases of meningococcal disease, six with meningococcal septicemia and seven with meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis serotype B was the responsible agent in all cases. The following conclusions are obtained: 1) The presence of FDP in the CSF has no prognostic value, and its detection only in plasma does not exclude a fatal outcome. 2) Statistical analysis of the data suggests that the presence of FDP in the CSF is not the result of passive transfer from plasma but it indicates a meningeal inflammatory reaction. 3) Alpha-1-antitrypsin levels are elevated in meningococcal infections both in plasma and in the CSF, and they significantly correlate with the intensity of the fibrinolytic activity.