The diagnostic and prognostic role of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in glucose transporter 1 deficiency: a systematic review

The purpose of this study is to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in the diagnostic work-up of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) deficiency. Reported here is a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines collecting clinical and biochemical data about all published patients who underwent CSF analysis. Clinical phenotypes were compared between groups defined by the levels of CSF glucose (<= 2.2 mmol/L versus > 2.2 mmol/L), CSF/blood glucose ratio (<= 0.45 versus > 0.45), and CSF lactate (<= 1 mmol/L versus > 1 mmol/L). Five hundred sixty-two patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria with a mean age at the diagnosis of 8.6 +/- 6.7 years. Patients with CSF glucose <= 2.2 mmol/L and CSF/blood glucose ratio <= 0.45 presented with an earlier onset of symptoms (16.4 +/- 22.0 versus 54.4 +/- 45.9 months, p < 0.01; 15.7 +/- 23.8 versus 40.9 +/- 38.0 months, p < 0.01) and received an earlier molecular genetic confirmation (92.1 +/- 72.8 versus 157.1 +/- 106.2 months, p < 0.01). CSF glucose <= 2.2 mmol/L was consistently associated with response to ketogenic diet (p = 0.018) and antiseizure medications (p = 0.025). CSF/blood glucose ratio <= 0.45 was significantly associated with absence seizures (p = 0.048), paroxysmal exercise-induced dyskinesia (p = 0.046), and intellectual disability (p = 0.016) while CSF lactate > 1 mmol/L was associated with a response to antiseizure medications (p = 0.026) but not to ketogenic diet. Conclusions:This systematic review supported the diagnostic usefulness of lumbar puncture for the early identification of patients with GLUT1 deficiency responsive to treatments especially if they present with co-occurring epilepsy, movement, and neurodevelopmental disorders.