title: More specific bands in the IgG western blot in sera from Scottish patients with suspected Lyme borreliosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify further Western blot bands that may be specific in the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Borrelia burgdorferi antibody profiles of 270 western blot positive patients and 241 western blot negative patients from 2008 were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  27 different non-specific bands were detected in both groups. Six of 27 (22%) of the non-specific bands were detected significantly more in the western blot positive patients compared to the western blot negative patients (20 kDa, p<0.0001; 28 kDa, p<0.002; 36 kDa, p<0.002; 37 kDa, p<0.007; 48 kDa, p<0.023; 56 kDa, p<0.028; two-tailed F test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that the 20, 28 and 48 kDa bands should be regarded as specific.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, UK. roger.evans@nhs.net
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mavin
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McDonagh
authors.forename: Jean M W
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chatterton
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Milner
authors.forename: Darrel O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Ho-Yen
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012606:Scotland; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G