A European multicenter study of immunoblotting in serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis

A European multicenter study of immunoblotting for the serodiagnosis of Lym e borreliosis showed considerable variation in results obtained from tests with a panel of 227 serum samples. Six laboratories used different immunobl ot methods, and a wide range of bands was detected in all the assays. Multi variable logistic regression analysis of data from individual laboratories was used to determine the most discriminatory bands for reliable detection of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu late. These bands were used to construct individual interpretation rules for the immunoblots used in the s ix laboratories. Further analysis identified a subset of eight bands, which were important in all the laboratories, although with variations in signif icance. Possible European rules, all closely related, were formulated from these bands, although there was no single rule that gave high levels of sen sitivity and specificity for all the laboratories. This is a reflection of the wide range of methodologies used, especially the use of different speci es and strains of B. burgdorferi sensu late. The panel of European rules pr ovides a framework for immunoblot interpretation which may be adapted in re lation to the characteristics of Lyme borreliosis in local areas.