title: Cross-reactivity between Lyme and syphilis screening assays: Lyme disease does not cause false-positive syphilis screens.
abstract: Increased rates of Lyme disease and syphilis in the same geographic area prompted an assessment of screening test cross-reactivity. This study supports the previously described cross-reactivity of Lyme screening among syphilis-positive sera and reports evidence against the possibility of false-positive syphilis screening tests resulting from previous Borrelia burgdorferi infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada. Electronic address: glenn.patriquin@dal.ca.
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Patriquin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: LeBlanc
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heinstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.affiliation: Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), National Microbiology Laboratory (NML), Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
authors.forename: Robbin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority and Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
authors.forename: Todd F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Hatchette
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000276:immunology; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013587:Syphilis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial
keywords: Cross-reactivity; Lyme disease; Syphilis