DEMONSTRATION OF BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI DNA IN URINE SAMPLES FROM HEALTHY HUMANS WHOSE SERA CONTAIN B-BURGDORFERI-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES

Since the possibility of asymptomatic infection with Borrelia burgdorf eri has been suggested by a positive serology found in healthy subject s, we hypothesized that these subjects might excrete borrelial DNA seq uences in urine as happens in patients with Lyme borreliosis. We found borrelial sequences by nested PCR in the urine samples from 3 of 13 h ealthy B. burgdorferi antibody-positive adults but not in urine sample s from 79 antibody-negative healthy controls. After therapy with doxyc ycline, the urine samples were repeatedly negative for B. burgdorferi DNA. We conclude that urinary excretion of borrelial DNA sequences may occur in seropositive healthy subjects during asymptomatic infection. Demonstration of such sequences in urine must be interpreted cautious ly and may not necessarily prove a borrelial cause of disease.