Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with COVID-19-associated central nervous system manifestations: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Background: Central nervous system (CNS) symptoms may occur in patients with acute COVID-19. The role of CSF examination in these patients remains to be established. Objective: A systematic review of CSF findings relating to COVID-19 was carried out. Methods: CSF parameters, including cy...

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Main Authors: Renan Barros Domingues, Fernando Brunale Vilela de Moura Leite, Carlos Senne
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações 2022-02-01
Series:Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2022005004205&tlng=en
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author Renan Barros Domingues
Fernando Brunale Vilela de Moura Leite
Carlos Senne
author_facet Renan Barros Domingues
Fernando Brunale Vilela de Moura Leite
Carlos Senne
author_sort Renan Barros Domingues
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT Background: Central nervous system (CNS) symptoms may occur in patients with acute COVID-19. The role of CSF examination in these patients remains to be established. Objective: A systematic review of CSF findings relating to COVID-19 was carried out. Methods: CSF parameters, including cytological and biochemical analyses, SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and other CSF markers, were recorded and analyzed among patients with acute COVID-19 and one of the following CNS syndromes: stroke, encephalopathy, encephalitis, inflammatory syndromes, seizure, headache and meningitis. Results: Increased white blood cells and/or increased protein concentration were found in 52.7% of the patients with encephalitis, 29.4% of the patients with encephalopathy and 46.7% of the patients with inflammatory syndromes (P < 0.05). CSF RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 was positive in 17.35% of the patients with encephalitis and less than 3.5% of the patients with encephalopathy or inflammatory syndromes (P < 0.05). Intrathecal production of immunoglobulins was found in only 8% of the cases. More than 85% of the patients had increased CSF cytokines and chemokines. Increased CSF neurofilament light chain (NfL) and CSF Tau were found in 71% and 36% of the cases, respectively. Conclusion: Non-specific inflammatory CSF abnormalities were frequently found in patients with COVID-19 CNS syndromes. The increase in neurodegeneration biomarkers suggests that neuronal damage occurs, with long-term consequences that are still unknown.
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spelling doaj-art-de9eb2b87bdf4c9d8dee39fdb5d09a7c2025-08-20T02:21:21ZengThieme Revinter PublicaçõesArquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria1678-42272022-02-0110.1590/0004-282x-anp-2021-0117Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with COVID-19-associated central nervous system manifestations: a systematic reviewRenan Barros Domingueshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6058-7937Fernando Brunale Vilela de Moura Leitehttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2661-1523Carlos Sennehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8056-1064ABSTRACT Background: Central nervous system (CNS) symptoms may occur in patients with acute COVID-19. The role of CSF examination in these patients remains to be established. Objective: A systematic review of CSF findings relating to COVID-19 was carried out. Methods: CSF parameters, including cytological and biochemical analyses, SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and other CSF markers, were recorded and analyzed among patients with acute COVID-19 and one of the following CNS syndromes: stroke, encephalopathy, encephalitis, inflammatory syndromes, seizure, headache and meningitis. Results: Increased white blood cells and/or increased protein concentration were found in 52.7% of the patients with encephalitis, 29.4% of the patients with encephalopathy and 46.7% of the patients with inflammatory syndromes (P < 0.05). CSF RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 was positive in 17.35% of the patients with encephalitis and less than 3.5% of the patients with encephalopathy or inflammatory syndromes (P < 0.05). Intrathecal production of immunoglobulins was found in only 8% of the cases. More than 85% of the patients had increased CSF cytokines and chemokines. Increased CSF neurofilament light chain (NfL) and CSF Tau were found in 71% and 36% of the cases, respectively. Conclusion: Non-specific inflammatory CSF abnormalities were frequently found in patients with COVID-19 CNS syndromes. The increase in neurodegeneration biomarkers suggests that neuronal damage occurs, with long-term consequences that are still unknown.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2022005004205&tlng=enCOVID-19Cerebrospinal FluidEncephalitisPolymerase Chain ReactionHeadache
spellingShingle Renan Barros Domingues
Fernando Brunale Vilela de Moura Leite
Carlos Senne
Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with COVID-19-associated central nervous system manifestations: a systematic review
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
COVID-19
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Encephalitis
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Headache
title Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with COVID-19-associated central nervous system manifestations: a systematic review
title_full Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with COVID-19-associated central nervous system manifestations: a systematic review
title_fullStr Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with COVID-19-associated central nervous system manifestations: a systematic review
title_full_unstemmed Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with COVID-19-associated central nervous system manifestations: a systematic review
title_short Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with COVID-19-associated central nervous system manifestations: a systematic review
title_sort cerebrospinal fluid analysis in patients with covid 19 associated central nervous system manifestations a systematic review
topic COVID-19
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Encephalitis
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Headache
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2022005004205&tlng=en
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AT carlossenne cerebrospinalfluidanalysisinpatientswithcovid19associatedcentralnervoussystemmanifestationsasystematicreview