| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2023 | Volume
: 55
| Issue : 4 | Page : 216-222 |
Role of vascular endothelial growth factor in tuberculous meningitis: A prospective study from a tertiary care center in North India
Devesh Kumar1, Deependra Singh2, Tanish Modi2, Riya Sharma2, Anand Keshav Awasthy2, Ritu Shree2, Manoj Kumar Goyal2, Dhawal Narang2, Siddharth Chand2, Sameer Vyas3, Kusum Sharma4, Navneet Sharma1, Rudresh Gowda1, Abeer Goel2, Rajeev Ranjan2, Manish Modi2
1 Department of Internal Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
2 Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
3 Department of Radiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
4 Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
Correspondence Address:
Rajeev Ranjan
Department of Neurology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/ijp.ijp_743_22
INTRODUCTION: The status of vascular endothelial-derived growth factor (VEGF) in the pathogenesis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) remains far from clear. We prospectively evaluated the role of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) VEGF in TBM.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted at a tertiary care center in North India from January 2018 to June 2019. Consecutive drug-naive patients (n = 82) of TBM diagnosed on the basis of modified Ahuja's criteria were included in the study. The results were compared with 49 control subjects (n = 49). Serum and CSF VEGF were done in all the cases and controls. Follow-up serum VEGF levels were done in 34 patients after 3 months of completion of antitubercular therapy. The VEGF levels were estimated using the human VEGF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.
RESULTS: The mean age was 29.9 ± 13.1 years. The study group consisted of 33 (40.2%) men and 49 (59.8%) women. BACTEC MGIT960 was positive in 15 (18%) patients while multiplex tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction was positive in 73 (89%) patients. Levels of VEGF in serum and CSF of TBM patients were not elevated when compared to controls. There was no association between final outcome in TBM and decrease in serum levels of VEGF at follow-up.
CONCLUSION: VEGF may not be playing a significant role in the pathogenesis of TBM. Future studies with larger sample size may clarify the status of VEGF further in TBM.
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