IMMUNOLOGICAL HUMORAL RESPONSE IN PATIENT S WITH LYMES DISEASE

Indirect immunofluorescence (II), enzyme-labelled antibodies (ELA), im mune blotting (IB) were used for serological evaluation of 74 patients with Lyme disease living in the North-West and Central regions of Rus sia. Both acute and chronic borreliosis can be seropositive or seroneg ative. As shown by II and ELA, these patients had a moderate humoral r esponse, high titers of the specific antibodies being a rare finding. The range of antiborrelia antibodies (ABA) identified by IB as limited and, as a rule, includes antibodies to no more than 5 proteins of Bor relia burgdorferi. The highest ABA levels were associated with locomot or lesions and were significantly greater of the above levels in patie nts with migrating erythema. Informative value of II and ELA in Lyme's disease diagnosis according to this study is equal because ELA is mor e sensitive, while II is more specific. They are both of little help i n atypical borreliosis presentation. Most available of other adequate serological tests is IB.