Diagnostic value of RT-PCR for detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus RNA in cerebrospinal fluid.
European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology·
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10096-025-05389-x
- PMID
- 41526762
- PMCID
- PMC13086654
- OpenAlex
- W7122666732
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Publisher unavailable
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
RT-PCR may serve as a supplementary diagnostic tool for TBE in patients with immune compromise or immunosuppressive therapy, and RNA detection in CSF may help identify cases at higher risk of severe or fatal outcomes.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The study examined whether RT-PCR detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus RNA in cerebrospinal fluid can aid TBE diagnosis and whether RNA positivity relates to clinical severity.
Study design
Retrospective analysis of CSF samples from TBE patients in two Swedish regions between 2015 and 2020, with RT-PCR testing for viral RNA and review of medical records for clinical parameters.
Population and setting
Thirty-six TBE patients from Region Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden, including a subgroup of eight patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment.
Main findings
TBEV RNA was detected in 56% of patients. Those with detectable RNA experienced more severe disease, including higher rates of intensive care and assisted ventilation. Mortality reached 40% among RNA-positive patients overall and 88% in the immunosuppressed subgroup with detectable RNA.
Public-health relevance
RT-PCR may serve as a supplementary diagnostic tool for TBE in patients with immune compromise or immunosuppressive therapy, and RNA detection in CSF may help identify cases at higher risk of severe or fatal outcomes.
Important limitations
The retrospective design, small sample size (36 patients total, 8 immunosuppressed), and single-region scope limit generalizability. The study does not establish whether RNA detection causally predicts severity or simply reflects disease biology.
GIDS interpretation
This article was identified through disease and diagnostic topic classifiers. It describes diagnostic performance and clinical correlates in a defined retrospective cohort rather than population-level incidence or outbreak data.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 10 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.