Immunoblot reactivity at follow-up in treated patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis and healthy controls

Publication date: Available online 26 September 2018Source: Ticks and Tick-borne DiseasesAuthor(s): R. Dersch, A. Sarnes, M. Maul, O. Minakowski, T. Hottenrott, O. Stich, S. RauerAbstractAbout 5–20% of the general population in endemic areas have seroprevalence for anti-borrelial antibodies. Previous studies have shown a high rate of 25–97% of persisting anti-borrelial antibodies in patients with treated Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) at follow-up. These studies used immunoblots with antigens from whole-cell sonicates, which could be less specific than modern recombinant antigens. We assessed the seroprevalence of anti-borrelial antibodies in serum from patients with definite LNB and healthy controls with a line immunoblot using highly specific recombinant antigens.We retrospectively identified patients with treated definite LNB who were treated at the Medical Center–University of Freiburg. Serum from LNB patients at a mean follow-up period of 4.9 years (SD: 3.3) and serum from healthy controls were assessed for anti-borrelial antibodies with a line immunoblot with recombinant antigens.A total of 45 patients with definite LNB and 40 healthy controls were included. Ten LNB patients (22.7%) had persisting antibodies (IgG and/or IgM) in serum at follow-up. Serum samples from six healthy controls (15%) were positive for anti-borrelial antibodies (IgG and or IgM). Prevalence of positive IgM or IgG antibodies showed no statistically significant difference between LNB patients at...
Source: Ticks and Tick borne Diseases - Category: Zoology Source Type: research