Cerebrospinal fluid u-plasminogen activator and matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels in human eosinophilic meningitis associated with angiostrongyliasis

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels were measured in patients with eosinophilic meningitis associated with angiostrongyliasis (EOMA) by quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassays. The CSF concentrations of uPA and MMP-9 were evaluated in 30 EOMA patients and 10 controls. The CSF uPA and MMP-9 levels of the EOMA patients were significantly higher than those of the controls (p < 0.001). The positive detection values were 73% (22/30) and 86.7% (26/30) for uPA and MMP-9, respectively. The uPA detection was in correlation with headache duration (p = 0.008) and stiff neck (p = 0.048), while the MMP-9 was in correlation with CSF total protein (p = 0.006), CSF leukocytosis (p = 0.004) and CSF eosinophil numbers (p = 0.02). CSF uPA and MMP-9 levels are potentially useful for the understanding of immunologic pathogenesis, for therapeutic targets, for the diagnosis of EOMA and for monitoring treatment efficacy.