CHARACTERISTICS OF DISORDERS OF THE PERIP HERAL NERVOUS-SYSTEM IN LYME-BORRELIOSIS IN THE ENDEMIC REGION OF RUSSIA

Clinical and laboratory data are available on affection of the periphe ral nervous system (PNS) in 27 patients with Lyme-borreliosis (LB) in the endemic region of Russia. PNS disorders arose early, 88.9% of the patients had them within one month of the disease. 9 (37.5%) patients had meningoradiculoneuropathy (MRN) which emerged in the acute period in 77.8% of the patients. Inflammation in the cerebrospinal fluid was registered only in patients with clinical signs of meningitis. MRN dev eloped more frequently in Facial nerve neuritis (FNN) than in radiculo pathy (RP) - 80.0% and 14.3%, respectively, p = 0.01. Intratecal synth esis of antibodies to B. burgdorferi in combination with pleocytosis w as found only in FNN patients (16.7%). In 6 (37.5%) of 16 patients wit h neuroborreliosis concentrations of C-reactive protein were elevated. Its high level occurred significantly more frequently in RP (83%) tha n in FNN (17%) (p = 0.05). 5 out of 14 LB patients exhibited high leve l of Willebrand factor antigen. No clear clinical relations between th is value and PNS lesions in LB were found.