Cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands in Neuroborreliosis are specific for Borrelia burgdorferi.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) oligoclonal bands (OCB) occur in chronic or post-acute phase of inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. OBJECTIVE:To determine whether CSF OCB in patients with neuroborreliosis (NB) are specific for borrelia burgdorferi senso lato. METHODS:We performed isoelectric focusing followed by immunoblotting in CSF of 10 NB patients and 11 controls (7 patients with multiple sclerosis, 2 patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease, 1 patient with dementia and 1 patient with monoclonal gammopathy). Immunoblotting was performed using an uncoated as well as a borrelia antigen pre-coated nitrocellulose membrane (NCM). OCB were counted by visual inspection and photometric analysis. OCB were compared between uncoated und pre-coated NCM both in the NB and control group. For validation purposes inter-assay precision was determined by calculating the coefficient of variation (CV). RESULTS:Borrelia-specific OCB were found in the CSF of 9 NB patients and in none of the control subjects resulting in a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 100%. Number of NB specific OCB were 11±7 bands by photometric analyses compared to 9±5 bands by visual inspection. Validation experiments revealed an inconsistent inter-assay precision between visual and photometric analyses (NB uncoated: visual 28% versus photometric 14%, control subject uncoated: visual 16% versus photometric 24%). CONCLUSIONS:In CSF samples with positive OCB, Borrelia-specific bands were detected in almost all NB patients and in none of the control subjects. Inconsistent inter-assay precision may be explained by a poor comparability of visual and photometric approach.

SUBMITTER: Berek K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7518929 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature