In our patient cohort, inflammasome associated cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 levels in CSF of patients with bacterial meningitis correlated with development of systemic complications and unfavorable prognosis; and in the subgroup of patients with pneumococcal meningitis, IL-1β and IL-18 correlated with systemic complications only. This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and pneumococcal meningitis.