Thirteen clinical severity variables were studied, including duration of clinical illness before admission, rectal temperature at admission, and the laboratory variables CSF leukocyte number, CSF/blood glucose ratio, CSF protein concentration, blood leukocyte number, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, blood culture (positive for meningitis causing organism), convulsions, disturbed consciousness at admission, ICU-admission, hearing loss, and clinical diagnosis at discharge (meningitis with or without sepsis). The gene discussed is CRP; the disease is meningitis.