TEMPORAL STUDY OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN-M SEROREACTIVITY TO BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI IN PATIENTS TREATED FOR LYME BORRELIOSIS

Forty-six patients with late Lyme disease who were considered improved or cured following treatment were monitored by immunoglobulin M (IgM) immunoblotting (mean monitoring period, 27.6 months). There was a per sistent IgM response in 32 (97%) of 33 initially positive patients. Al l but three showed a consistent number, type, and intensity of IgM ban ds over the entire follow-up period. IgM immunoblotting may not be use ful for monitoring the response to treatment of Lyme borreliosis.