Classical and modern methods of cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Report on the First All-German Symposium of the Society for Laboratory Medicine (FRG) and the Study Group for CSF Analysis and Clinical Neurochemistry of the Society for Psychiatry and Neurology (formerly GDR) in Marburg a. d. Lahn, October 5-6, 1990.

ABSTRACT

The aim of the symposium was to prepare an inventory of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis used in Germany, and to evaluate them in comparison with modern methods. From the large field of CSF analysis, four main topics were selected, all related to the practical application of the methods. The following conclusions were drawn Classical techniques of cytodiagnosis are clinically important. Therefore, manual and mechanized techniques must be further improved with respect to counting, collection, and differentiating of CSF cells. As cytokines and complement factors are early mediators of diverse processes in CNS, highly sensitive techniques must be developed for their routine analysis e.g. in CNS inflammation. Recent efforts to detect specifically viral and bacterial agents (e.g. by polymerase chain reaction, Particle Counting Immuno-Assay, Enzyme Immuno-Assay) or antibodies (e.g. affinity-mediated immunoblot, specific antibody index) in CSF must be continued in order to develop definite and practicable assays for daily routine. For the detection of intrathecally produced antibodies, qualitative procedures appear to be more reliable then quantitative ones, provided that the former are highly sensitive and specific.