Antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with antibiotic-refractory, antibiotic-responsive, or non-antibiotic-treated Lyme arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the pattern of antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with antibiotic-refractory, antibiotic-responsive, or non-antibiotic-treated Lyme arthritis as an indirect measure of spirochetal persistence or eradication.


METHODS
At least 3 serial serum samples from 41 patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis and 23 patients with antibiotic-responsive arthritis, and samples from 10 non-antibiotic-treated, historical control patients were tested for IgG reactivity with B burgdorferi sonicate and 4 differentially expressed outer surface lipoproteins of the spirochete, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Among non-antibiotic-treated patients, antibody titers to B burgdorferi antigens remained high throughout a 2-5-year period of arthritis. In contrast, in patients with antibiotic-responsive arthritis, in whom joint swelling usually resolved during a 1-month course of oral antibiotic therapy, the median antibody titers to most of the spirochetal antigens remained steady or decreased during the first 1-3 months after starting antibiotic therapy. In patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis, who had persistent joint swelling for a median duration of 10 months despite 2-3 months of oral or intravenous antibiotics, the median titers to most antigens increased slightly during the first 1-3 months. However, by 4-6 months after starting antibiotic therapy, reactivity with all antigens declined similarly in both antibiotic-treated groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Whereas the antibody titers to B burgdorferi remained high in non-antibiotic-treated patients, the titers declined similarly 4-6 months after starting therapy in patients with antibiotic-responsive or antibiotic-refractory arthritis, suggesting that synovial inflammation persisted in patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis after the period of infection.
Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Priya
P
Kannian
Gail
G
McHugh
Barbara J B
BJ
Johnson
Rendi M
RM
Bacon
Lisa J
LJ
Glickstein
Allen C
AC
Steere
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G