Beyond LNB: Real life data on occurrence and extent of CSF CXCL13 in neuroinflammatory diseases

Abstract To evaluate occurrence and extent of CSF CXCL13 elevations beyond Lyme neuroborreliosis, we investigated CXCL13 in an unselected patient cohort with neuroinflammatory disease. From March 2016 to March 2017, 180 in-patients with CSF pleocytosis were categorized into following groups: pyogenic CNS infections, aseptic meningoencephalitis, neuroimmunological diseases, and reactive pleocytosis. We provide evidence that CXCL13 elevation occurs at variable extent in the majority of neuroinflammatory diseases. The exact role of CXCL13 in CSF is elusive, but the broad occurrence in neuroinflammation points at CNS immune activation, which is not exclusive for LNB.