SEROLOGICAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN SYPHILIS AND LYME BORRELIOSIS

The serological distinction of an immune response to the agent of syph ilis, Treponema (T.) pallidum, and Lyme disease borreliae is difficult due to the existence of cross-reacting antibodies. In this study, the immunoblot technique is used to compare the immune response of sera f rom patients with syphilis or Lyme borreliosis to either T. pallidum o r Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi. Patients with syphilis showed an IgG resp onse to the 17 and 15 kDa antigens of T. pallidum, whereas sera from p atients with Lyme borreliosis - especially in late stages of the disea se - reacted with the 95 and 19-17 kDa antigens of B. burgdorferi. Thu s, IgG antibodies against low molecular weight antigens of T. pallidum (17, 15 kDa) or B. burgdorferei (19-17 kDa) may represent useful mark ers for the serological diagnosis of syphilis or Lyme borreliosis.