POSITIVE UNDIAGNOSED LYME PATIENTS WITH NEGATIVE ELISA BUT POSITIVE WESTERN BLOT

THE ROUTINE USA APPROACH WOULD HAVE MISSED EVERY CASE

Our experience with examination of antibodies against antigens of Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with suspected Lyme disease.

People with persisting symptoms of the disease, which could be in correlation with Lyme disease, but anti-borrelial antibodies were not confirmed by screening tests.

32 patients with suspected clinical signs of Lyme were tested for the presence of anti-borrelia antibodies by using ELISA and western blot analysis and the state of cellular and humoral immunity.

All patients had specific antiborrelial antibodies confirmed by using the western blot in spite of negative ELISA.

The study showed a deficiency of cell immunity in all patients and some also had a deficiency of humoral immunity.

Many types of auto immune antibodies was detected in over half the patients.

In patients with persisting difficulties that could be associated with Lyme disease, it is necessary to use the western blot test which could prove the presence of specific antibodies. It is probably due to the very low production of specific antibodies caused also by the status of immune deficiency.

Source researchers: Durovska J, Bazovska S, Ondrisova M, Pancak J.

DR SCHALLER NEITHER SUPPORTS NOR OPPOSES THESE MATERIALS.