Metabolic profiling in multiple sclerosis and other disorders by quantitative analysis of cerebrospinal fluid using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is being analyzed for the diagnosis of a variety of neurological diseases. Among the methods employed, metabolomics and proteomics are increasingly gaining popularity. At present, sensitivity and, in particular, specificity are limited in CSF metabolomics by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Nonetheless, progress is being made by studying more and more well-defined and homogeneous patient cohorts. This review starts off with a brief overview of classical CSF analysis in multiple sclerosis (MS), followed by a description of NMR spectroscopy in general metabolic CSF analysis. The subsequent sections focus on metabolomic profiling of CSF by NMR spectroscopy in MS and other neurological disorders. Currently existing results are reviewed and compared, and the potential and limits of this approach are discussed. In addition, several methodological questions are addressed, and the prospects for future developments are briefly outlined.