!NEW PUBLICATION! – Metabolomic insights into Lyme neuroborreliosis: Exploring cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic clues

This new study examined cerebrospinal fluid metabolites as potential new diagnostic markers for Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), a nervous system manifestation of Lyme borreliosis. Because current diagnostics are limited by the nonspecific nature of pleocytosis and the persistence of intrathecal antibodies after treatment, the researchers used untargeted UHPLC-MS/MS to analyze small metabolites in CSF from patients with acute LNB and compared them with samples taken after treatment, from non-LNB patients, and from patients with other CNS infections. Among 4,222 detected molecular features, 131 showed significant differences, including metabolites related to lysophospholipids, sphingomyelins, sphingoid bases, fatty acid amides, cyclic phosphatidic acids, and amino acid metabolism. The findings suggest that CSF metabolomics could serve as a valuable complementary tool for improving LNB diagnosis, distinguishing it from other CNS conditions, and supporting future biomarker development.