Lyme borreliosis and multiple sclerosis: any connection? A seroepidemic study.
A total of 769 adult neurological patients hospitalised in clinics and hospitals situated in the Lublin region (eastern Poland) were examined during the years 1997-2000 with ELISA test for the presence of anti-Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antibodies. A statististically significant (p=0.0422) relationship was found between the clinically confirmed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and the positive serologic reaction with Borrelia antigen. Ten out 26 patients with multiple sclerosis (38.5%) showed positive serologic reaction to Borrelia, whereas among the total number of examined neurological patients the frequency of positive findings was twice as low (19.4%). The result suggests that multiple sclerosis may be often associated with Borrelia infection
Chmielewska-Badora
J
J
Department of Occupational Biohazards, Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Jaczewskiego 2, 20-090 Lublin, Poland.
Cisak
E
E
Dutkiewicz
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000150:complications*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial