title: Serodiagnosis of early Lyme disease: analysis of IgM and IgG antibody responses by using an antibody-capture enzyme immunoassay.
abstract: We used an antibody-capture enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to evaluate the early antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi in paired sera from 30 patients with erythema chronicum migrans. During acute disease, 20 (67%) patients had elevated specific IgM responses, and by convalescence (one to four weeks after treatment), 28 (93%) patients had increased IgM or IgG responses. In acute specimens, elevated IgM responses correlated with disseminated infection; however, by convalescence, most patients with either localized or disseminated disease had positive tests. Among 133 control subjects, IgM cross-reactivity was observed in 4 of 37 patients with either Epstein-Barr virus or rickettsial infections, and false-positive IgG tests were seen in 8 of 28 patients with syphilis. With antibody-capture EIA, the diagnosis of Lyme disease can be confirmed in the majority of acutely ill patients and in almost all patients by convalescence.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001898:Borrelia / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M