title: Comparison of two methods for detecting intrathecal synthesis of Borrelia burgdorferi-specific antibodies and PCR for diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis.
abstract: An indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), a commercial capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and PCR were compared for the diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis in 16 individuals. Borrelia burgdorferi-specific intrathecal immunoglobulin G was found in 10 of 16 patients by IFA and in 8 of 12 patients by capture ELISA. PCRs performed on cerebrospinal fluid samples stored at -70 degrees C were positive for one of eight children and one of four adults with intrathecal antibody production and negative for all four adults without intrathecal antibody production. For two children with facial palsy following erythema chronicum migrans, neither IFA nor capture ELISA detected specific intrathecal antibodies and PCR was also negative. We conclude that both clinical manifestations and laboratory parameters are important for the diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Kantonsspital, Aarau, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zbinden
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldenberger
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lucchini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altwegg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001483:Base Sequence; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G