S E Schutzer1, P K Coyle, P Reid, B Holland. 1. Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103, USA. schutzer@umdnj.edu
Abstract
CONTEXT: Diagnosis of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease (LD), has been impeded by the lack of effective assays to detect active infection. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether B. burgdorferi-specific immune complexes are detectable during active infection in LD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Cross-sectional analysis of serum samples from 168 patients fulfilling Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance criteria for LD and 145 healthy and other disease controls conducted over 8 years. Tests were performed blinded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Detection of B. burgdorferi immune complexes by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. RESULTS: The B. burgdorferi immune complexes were found in 25 of 26 patients with early seronegative erythema migrans (EM) LD; 105 of 107 patients with seropositive EM LD; 6 of 10 samples that were seronegative [corrected] with culture-positive EM; 0 of 12 patients who were treated and recovered from LD; and 13 of 13 patients with neurologic LD without EM. Among 147 controls, B. burgdorferi immune complex was found in 0 of 50 healthy individuals; 0 of 40 patients with persistent fatigue; 0 of 7 individuals with frequent tick exposure; and 2 of 50 patients with other diseases. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that B. burgdorferi immune complex formation is a common process in active LD. Analysis of the B. burgdorferi immune complexes by a simple technique has the potential to support or exclude a diagnosis of early as well as active LD infection.
CONTEXT: Diagnosis of infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the cause of Lyme disease (LD), has been impeded by the lack of effective assays to detect active infection. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether B. burgdorferi-specific immune complexes are detectable during active infection in LD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Cross-sectional analysis of serum samples from 168 patients fulfilling Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance criteria for LD and 145 healthy and other disease controls conducted over 8 years. Tests were performed blinded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Detection of B. burgdorferi immune complexes by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. RESULTS: The B. burgdorferi immune complexes were found in 25 of 26 patients with early seronegative erythema migrans (EM) LD; 105 of 107 patients with seropositive EM LD; 6 of 10 samples that were seronegative [corrected] with culture-positive EM; 0 of 12 patients who were treated and recovered from LD; and 13 of 13 patients with neurologic LD without EM. Among 147 controls, B. burgdorferi immune complex was found in 0 of 50 healthy individuals; 0 of 40 patients with persistent fatigue; 0 of 7 individuals with frequent tick exposure; and 2 of 50 patients with other diseases. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that B. burgdorferi immune complex formation is a common process in active LD. Analysis of the B. burgdorferi immune complexes by a simple technique has the potential to support or exclude a diagnosis of early as well as active LD infection.
Authors: T G Berger; C Schoerner; H Schell; M Simon; G Schuler; M Röllinghoff; A Gessner Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2003-05-29 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Bruce Budowle; Steven E Schutzer; Stephen A Morse; Kenneth F Martinez; Ranajit Chakraborty; Babetta L Marrone; Sharon L Messenger; Randall S Murch; Paul J Jackson; Phillip Williamson; Rockne Harmon; Stephan P Velsko Journal: Appl Environ Microbiol Date: 2008-07-25 Impact factor: 4.792
Authors: Erol Fikrig; Patricia K Coyle; Steven E Schutzer; Manchuan Chen; Zhidian Deng; Richard A Flavell Journal: J Clin Microbiol Date: 2004-03 Impact factor: 5.948