title: Avidity determination of Borrelia burgdorferi-specific IgG antibodies in Lyme disease.
abstract: The avidity indices of Borrelia burgdorferi-specific IgG antibodies were estimated using ELISA in sera from patients with different stages of Lyme disease. In addition, sera from healthy students with proof of borrelial-specific IgG antibodies from standard serology were tested. Low avidity indices were detected predominantly in sera from patients with early-stage Lyme disease [erythema migrans (EM); n = 25]. High avidity indices were found in healthy students (n = 72) and in most of the patients with neuroborreliosis (NB; n = 44) and chronic late-stage Lyme disease [acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA); n = 36]. In conclusion, early-stage Lyme disease (EM) could be differentiated from advanced and chronic stages (NB, ACA) and from "seropositive" healthy persons using avidity determination in the majority of patients in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert Ludwig University, Freiburg, Germany. rauer@nz11.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beitlich
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Neubert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rasiah
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaiser
mesh_terms: D000915:Antibody Affinity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D020852:Lyme Neuroborreliosis / Q000276:immunology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G