Elevated cerebrospinal fluid endothelin 1 associated with neurogenic pulmonary edema in children with enterovirus 71 encephalitis

Objectives: Neurogenic pulmonary edema (NPE) is a fatal complication in children with enterovirus 71 (EV71) encephalitis. Endothelin 1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor, can induce pulmonary edema in rats via intrathecal injections. Thus, it was hypothesized that ET-1 in the central nervous system may correlate with NPE in children with EV71 encephalitis. Methods: Clinical data and ET-1 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were compared between three groups: (1) EV71 encephalitis with NPE; (2) EV71 encephalitis without NPE; and (3) non-EV71 aseptic meningitis. ET-1 immunostaining was performed on the brainstem of autopsy patients. Results: The EV71 with NPE group showed significantly increased CSF levels of ET-1 compared to the EV71 without NPE and the non-EV71 aseptic meningitis groups (both p