Cerebrospinal fluid Lyme multiplex assay results are not diagnostic in horses with neuroborreliosis

Abstract

Background: The accuracy of the Lyme multiplex assay for the diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in horses is unknown.

Hypothesis/objectives: To describe Lyme multiplex results in horses with a postmortem diagnosis of neuroborreliosis. The hypothesis was that paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results and a CSF : serum ratio would allow differentiation of horses with neuroborreliosis from those with other neurologic diseases.

Animals: Ninety horses that had neurologic examinations, serum and CSF Lyme multiplex analyses, and postmortem examination of the nervous system performed.

Methods: Retrospective study. Data collected included signalment, ante- and postmortem diagnoses, and serum and CSF Lyme multiplex results. The CSF : serum ratio was calculated by dividing CSF median fluorescent intensity (MFI) by serum MFI for each result.

Results: Ten horses had a final diagnosis of neuroborreliosis, 70 were diagnosed with other neurologic diseases, and 10 had no neurologic disease. Not all horses with neuroborreliosis had positive results: 4/10 had at least 1 positive serum result, 5/10 had at least 1 positive CSF result, and 3/10 had at least 1 CSF result 4-fold higher than the corresponding serum result. Results were similar for the 70 horses with other neurologic diseases: 53% had at least 1 positive serum result, 50% had at least 1 positive CSF result, and 16% had at least 1 CSF result 4-fold higher than the corresponding serum result.

Conclusions and clinical importance: Positive Lyme multiplex results were common in horses with neurologic diseases and did not adequately differentiate horses with neuroborreliosis from horses with other disorders.

Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; borreliosis; immunology; serology.