Amsterdam, April 29, 2025 — A new study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe reveals that researchers at Amsterdam UMC have developed a fast, affordable diagnostic test to detect bacterial meningitis with high accuracy using C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Bacterial meningitis is a critical condition with high morbidity and mortality: approximately 1 in 6 patients die, and nearly 50% of survivors live with long-term sequelae. Delayed diagnosis is a major challenge that hampers early treatment. The new CRP-CSF test can deliver reliable results within 30 minutes, enabling timely and targeted therapy.

🧠 “Until now, reliable and fast diagnostic tools to differentiate bacterial meningitis from similar conditions were lacking,” said Dr. Matthijs Brouwer, neurologist and senior author at Amsterdam UMC.

🔍 Why CRP in CSF Works

While CRP is routinely tested in blood as a marker for bacterial infections, its diagnostic value in CSF had remained under-investigated. The Amsterdam team found that the same lab equipment used for blood CRP can detect elevated CSF CRP levels, which strongly correlates with bacterial meningitis.

✔️ In the study, all patients with bacterial meningitis had raised CRP in their CSF
✔️ Only a few patients without meningitis showed elevated CSF CRP
✔️ The test’s performance was validated in adults, children, and an independent Danish cohort at Aalborg University Hospital

🏥 Adopted into Daily Clinical Use

Since June 2024, the test has been used in clinical settings at Amsterdam UMC, offering a real-time diagnostic tool that supports quicker clinical decisions.

💡 "The result is known within half an hour of the lumbar puncture. That’s a huge gain for patient care,” noted Dr. Brouwer.

💶 Cost-Effective, Scalable, and Ready for Use

One of the most impactful findings is that the test:

  • Costs only €3–5 per sample

  • Requires no new equipment

  • Can be immediately implemented in any lab that already performs CRP blood tests

🏥 “Any laboratory measuring CRP in blood can introduce this CSF test tomorrow,” Dr. Brouwer emphasized. “We couldn’t have predicted that it would reach patients this quickly.”

📚 Study Details

  • Title: CRP in cerebrospinal fluid as a diagnostic test for bacterial meningitis

  • Journal: The Lancet Regional Health – Europe

  • DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101309

  • Date of Publication: April 29, 2025

  • Method: Randomized controlled trial

  • Research Subject: Human participants

Cover Image:La Visita De La Madre Al Hospital (1892) - Enrique Paternina García Cid (Spanish, 1866-1910)