DETECTION OF BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI ANTIGENS IN CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID

We examined CSF for Borrelia burgdorferi antigens using antigen-captur e ELISA and Western (immuno) blot. Antigen-capture ELISA was positive in 38 of 77 (49%) CSF samples obtained from neurologic patients with p resumed B burgdorferi infection, compared with one of 34 (3%) CSF samp les obtained from other neurologic disease controls who came from a re gion endemic for Lyme disease. Western immunoblot was positive for B b urgdorferi antigens in 12 of 22 (55%) CSF samples from the B burgdorfe ri infected groups, compared with none of 11 CSF samples from the cont rol group. CSF antigen detection should prove helpful in evaluating pa tients for suspected neurologic Lyme disease.