We investigated the influence of assay choice on the results in a two-tier testing algorithm for the detection of anti-Borrelia antibodies. Eighty-nine serum samples from clinically well-defined patients were tested in eight different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) systems based on whole-cell antigens, whole-cell antigens supplemented with VlsE and assays using exclusively recombinant proteins. A subset of samples was tested in five immunoblots: one whole-cell blot, one whole-cell blot supplemented with VlsE and three recombinant blots. The number of IgM- and/or IgG-positive ELISA results in the group of patients suspected of Borrelia infection ranged from 34 to 59%. The percentage of positives in cross-reactivity controls ranged from 0 to 38%. Comparison of immunoblots yielded large differences in inter-test agreement and showed, at best, a moderate agreement between tests. Remarkably, some immunoblots gave positive results in samples that had been tested negative by all eight ELISAs. The percentage of positive blots following a positive ELISA result depended heavily on the choice of ELISA-immunoblot combination. We conclude that the assays used to detect anti-Borrelia antibodies have widely divergent sensitivity and specificity. The choice of ELISA-immunoblot combination severely influences the number of positive results, making the exchange of test results between laboratories with different methodologies hazardous.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3132383 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1157-6 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Current and emerging approaches for eliminating and alleviating persistent Lyme disease symptoms.
Front Microbiol
September 2024
Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States.
Article Synopsis
- Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in North America, primarily caused by Borrelia bacteria, with notable differences in manifestations and treatments compared to Europe.
- Early diagnosis of Lyme disease is challenging due to non-specific symptoms and limitations of current FDA-approved tests, especially when there's no prior tick bite or characteristic rash.
- Although most patients respond well to antibiotic treatment, around 10-20% experience lingering symptoms known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), with poorly understood causes and contributing factors.
Synovial fluid alpha-defensins in Lyme arthritis-a useful marker.
Folia Microbiol (Praha)
December 2024
Department of Medical Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Charles University, Second Faculty of Medicine and Motol University Hospital, V Úvalu 84, 150 06, Prague, Czech Republic.
Lyme arthritis, one of the possible late manifestations of Lyme borreliosis, predominantly affects the supporting joints and in adults most often occurs in the form of monoarthritis of the knee. Early diagnosis is based on clinical findings and serology. PCR detection of Borrelia in synovial fluid has become an integral part of the laboratory testing algorithm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPotential drivers of vector-borne pathogens in urban environments: European hedgehogs () in the spotlight.
One Health
June 2024
Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on vector-borne diseases (VBDs) and their transmission cycles in urban areas, specifically looking at European hedgehogs in Hanover.
- Researchers analyzed blood samples to detect past and current infections with various pathogens, finding high seropositivity rates for certain pathogens and low rates for tick-borne encephalitis virus.
- The findings highlight the significance of hedgehogs as indicators of pathogen presence in urban settings, emphasizing their role as amplifiers for these diseases, which could pose risks to humans and domestic animals.
Genome-wide analyses in Lyme borreliosis: identification of a genetic variant associated with disease susceptibility and its immunological implications.
BMC Infect Dis
March 2024
Department of Internal Medicine and Radboudumc Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, the Netherlands.
Article Synopsis
- Genetic variation affects how individuals respond to infections, influencing both susceptibility and symptoms of diseases like Lyme borreliosis (LB).
- The study involved genome-wide association studies of 1,138 LB patients and healthy controls, evaluating genetic variants, cytokine responses, and antibody production related to the disease.
- A newly identified genetic variant, rs1061632, was linked to increased susceptibility to LB and associated with immune response alterations, highlighting the genetic factors influencing LB susceptibility and bacterial clearance.
Sleep fragmentation disrupts Lyme arthritis resolution in mice.
Sleep Med
February 2024
Department of Child Health and Child Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA. Electronic address:
Study Objectives: Lyme arthritis is a common late-stage complication of infection by Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease. Patients with Lyme arthritis report increased levels of sleep disturbance associated with pain. Using a mouse model of experimental Lyme arthritis, we investigated the effect of disrupted sleep on the development and resolution of joint inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!