title: Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA by polymerase chain reaction in cerebrospinal fluid in Lyme neuroborreliosis.
abstract: A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that detects Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was evaluated as a diagnostic test for acute or chronic Lyme neuroborreliosis. In one laboratory, 102 samples were tested blindly, and 40 samples were retested in a second laboratory. In the first laboratory, B. burgdorferi DNA was detected in CSF samples in 6 (38%) of 16 patients with acute neuroborreliosis, 11 (25%) of 44 with chronic neuroborreliosis, and none of 42 samples from patients with other illnesses. There was a significant correlation between PCR results and the duration of previous intravenous antibiotic therapy. The overall frequency of positive results was similar in the second laboratory, but concordance between the laboratories and among primer-probe sets was limited because many samples were positive with only one primer-probe set. Thus, PCR testing can sometimes detect B. burgdorferi DNA in CSF in patients with acute or chronic neuroborreliosis, but with current methods, the sensitivity of the test is limited.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology/Immunology, New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts02111, USA.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Nocton
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Bloom
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Rutledge
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Persing
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Logigian
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Steere
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial