Table 1.
Baseline Characteristics in TBM, Definite TBM, PTB, Other Brain Infections, and Healthy Controls
| Characteristic | TBM (n = 281) | Definite TBM (n = 134) | PTB (n = 296) | Other Brain Infections (n = 50) | Healthy Controls (n = 30) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y, median (IQR) | 41 (31–54) | 36 (29–47) | 44 (31–52) | 42 (30–60) | 33 (29–37) |
| Male, No. (%) | 183 (65) | 91 (68) | 228 (77) | 33 (66) | 11 (37) |
| HIV, No. (%) | |||||
| Negative | 207 (74) | 82 (61) | 295 (100) | 37 (100) | … |
| Positive | 74 (26) | 52 (39) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | … |
| Unknown | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | … |
| Glasgow Coma Score, median (IQR) | 14 (12–15) | 14 (12–15) | … | 11 (9–13) | … |
| TBM diagnostic category, No. (%) | |||||
| Definite TBM | 134 (48) | 134 (100) | … | … | … |
| Probable TBM | 98 (35) | … | … | … | … |
| Possible TBM | 49 (17) | … | … | … | … |
| Microbiological tests, No. (%) | |||||
| MGIT culture positive | 91 (32) | 91 (68) | … | … | … |
| Xpert/Ultra positive | 81 (28.8) | 81 (60) | … | … | … |
| Microscopy positive | 83 (30) | 83 (62) | … | … | … |
| CSF parameters, median (IQR) | |||||
| CSF leukocyte count, × 103 cells/mL | 139 (17–350) | 206 (109–405) | … | 466 (114–2956) | … |
| CSF lymphocytes, % | 89 (70–100) | 78 (46–89) | … | 49 (10–86) | … |
| CSF neutrophils, % | 0 (0–23) | 15 (0–53) | … | 50 (14–90) | … |
| CSF protein level, g/L | 1.65 (0.97–2.41) | 1.88 (1.30–2.54) | … | 1.19 (0.67–3.91) | … |
| CSF glucose level, mmol/L | 2.57 (1.70–3.50) | 1.97 (1.30–2.67) | … | 2.96 (0.74–4.17) | … |
| CSF lactate level, mmol/L | 5.0 (3.8–7.2) | 5.6 (3.9–7.6) | … | 6.9 (3.0–14.2) | … |
| Blood parameters | |||||
| Blood leukocyte count, × 106 cells/mL | 8.4 (6.3–11.1) | 7.7 (6.1–10.5) | 9.2 (7.4–11.4) | 12.4 (8.8–17.8) | 6.4 (5.6–7.2) |
| Blood lymphocytes, % | 13 (8–20) | 11 (7–17) | 20 (16–26) | 7 (5–13) | 34 (32–38) |
| Blood monocytes, % | 7.0 (5.0–9.2) | 6.9 (5.0–9.0) | 8.7 (7.2–10.4) | … | 6.3 (5.3–7.9) |
| Blood neutrophils, % | 77 (67–84) | 80 (72–86) | 67 (60–74) | 85 (78–90) | 57 (52–60) |
| Blood eosinophils, % | 0.5 (0.1–2.0) | 0.3 (0.1–1.0) | 1.9 (1.1–3.4) | 0.2 (0.0–0.5) | 2.9 (1.3–3.6) |
| Blood platelets, × 103/μL | 289 (221–357) | 290 (222–354) | 378 (318–482) | … | 297 (259–321) |
Abbreviations: CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; HIV, human immunodeficiency; IQR, interquartile range; MGIT, mycobacterial growth indicator tube; PTB, pulmonary tuberculosis; TBM, tuberculous meningitis.