title: [Serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis: antibody titer and specificity in the IFT and western blot].
abstract: Out of 334 sera from healthy persons from northern Bavaria 6% reacted positive in the indirect immunofluorescence test (IFT, titre greater than or equal to 1:64). The percentage of positive cases in patients with erythema chronicum migrans (ECM), meningoradiculitis (M. Bannwarth), or acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) was 43, 83 and 78%, respectively. In other patients with less characteristic symptoms in which an infection with B. burgdorferi was suspected the number of positive cases was only about 20%. A positive IgM-IFT was most often associated with ECM and M. Bannwarth; however, even in these cases IgM was only found in 30%. The serodiagnosis of Lyme disease required simultaneous serum testing of T. pallidum antibodies (TPHA) to exclude a syphilis with cross-reacting antibodies. In cases with a positive B. burgdorferi-IFT and TPHA the final diagnosis of Lyme disease was possible on the basis of Western blot analysis. The prominent antigens detected by sera from patients with Lyme disease--but not with syphilis--had molecular weights of 18, 22, 41 and 60 K; IgM antibodies were mainly directed against the 22 K and 41 K antigens. The antigen pattern was not characteristic for different disease stages.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Klinische Mikrobiologie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grellner
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Erbguth
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brade
mesh_terms: D000169:Acrodermatitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D015787:Erythema Chronicum Migrans / Q000175:diagnosis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000175:diagnosis; D013587:Syphilis / Q000276:immunology; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007075:Immunoglobulin M
vernacular_title: Serodiagnostik bei Lyme-Borreliose: Antikörpertiter und -spezifität im IFT und Western-Blot.