Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32008071›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2020

Quantitative serological antibody testing for suspected neuroborreliosis.

Christian Schneider, Jörg Gielen, Philip Röth, Philipp Albrecht, Michael Schroeter, Gereon R Fink, Gilbert Wunderlich, Helmar C Lehmann

Open access · hybridAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 57% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Serum Borrelia IgG as a rule-out test in suspected lyme neuroborreliosis: a large retrospective cohort study.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2026
    Article
  2. Lyme Neuroborreliosis as Initial Expression of Lyme Disease in an Elderly Patient.European journal of case reports in internal medicine · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Christian SchneiderDepartment of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
Jörg GielenInstitute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene (IMMIH), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Philip RöthDepartment of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
Philipp AlbrechtDepartment of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Düsseldorf, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Michael SchroeterDepartment of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
Gereon R FinkDepartment of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
Gilbert WunderlichDepartment of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany.
Helmar C LehmannDepartment of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Kerpener Straße 62, 50937, Cologne, Germany. helmar.lehmann@uk-koeln.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0674-9891
University of Cologne · DEDüsseldorf University Hospital · DEForschungszentrum Jülich · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the importance of serum IgG/IgM antibody titers for the differentiation of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) from its mimics.

methodThis was a retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted at two German neurological centers. Serological parameters (ELISA or CLIA analysis) and clinical presentation of 28 patients with definite LNB were compared to those of 36 patients with neurological symptoms mimicking LNB (mimics). Analysis was performed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and binary logistic regression.

resultsElevated IgG-titers had a high sensitivity for neuroborreliosis in both centers (0.95 and 1.0). The optimal cutoff-values were set to 26.35 in center A (ELISA), and 64.0 in center B (CLIA). Diagnostic specificity was 0.41 and 0.89 in this constellation. Elevated IgM-titers showed a high diagnostic specificity for a cutoff at 68.10 (A) and 47.95 (B) (0.93 and 0.89). Sensitivity was 0.45 and 0.5. Overall diagnostic accuracy was low in both centers (A: IgG AUC = 0.665, IgM AUC = 0.629; B: IgG AUC = 0.917, IgM AUC = 0.556). In logistic regression of antibody titers and clinical measures, prediction of LNB was significantly better than the "null hypothesis". Clinical measures showed the highest odds ratio.

conclusionData show that in addition to the clinical presentation of patients with symptoms suggesting central or peripheral nervous system manifestation, serum IgG- and IgM-titers help to identify LNB-patients. The results should guide physicians counseling patients with suspected LNB about further diagnostic steps and treatment.

Indexed as

AdultAntibodies, BacterialBorrelia burgdorferiCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin MLyme NeuroborreliosisMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesAntibodies, BacterialImmunoglobulin GImmunoglobulin MCLIAELISALyme diseaseNeuroborreliosis

Identifiers

PMID32008071
PMCPMC7184039
OpenAlexW3003793277

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.