Meningococcal meningitis and complement deficiences

Results A hundred and twenty nine patients (69M:60F) were included in the study. The age of the patients ranged from 2 months (m) up to 64 years old (mean= 96.2m; median=48m). The following serogroups were identified: type C, 36.4%; B, 20.2%; W135, 1.5% and 41.9% had no serogroup identified. CH50 and AP50 values were below the reference levels in 48 patients (37.2%) and 97 patients (75.2%), and the activity was undetectable in 5 and 15 patients, respectively. Levels of CH50 and AP50 were both low in 46 patients (33.65%) and in 8 were both undetectable. Properdin levels were performed in patients with low AP50 (n = 44) and 43.2% had decreased properdin value. MBL values were below 50 micrograms in 2/26 patients evaluated. One patient was diagnosed with C6 deficiency after the second meningitis.