Course of Antibody Response in Lyme Borreliosis Patients before and after Therapy. (26th January 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aberer, Elisabeth; Schwantzer, Gerold
• Other Names: Clayton A. Academic Editor.; Devi S. Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: ISRN immunology. Volume 2012(2012)
• Publication Date: 2012-01-26
• Subjects: Immunology -- Periodicals; Immunology; Allergy and Immunology -- Periodicals; Immune System -- Periodicals; Immune System Diseases -- Periodicals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.079
• DOI: 10.5402/2012/719821
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2090-5645

Abstract

Abstract : The early immune response (IR) in European Lyme borreliosis patients has not yet been studied in detail. The aim of the study was to analyse retrospectively the antibody development in 61 erythema migrans (EMs) patients depending on the duration of infection from tick bite by using a whole-cell lysate B. garinii immunoblot. The evolution of antibodies proved to be undulatory in untreated patients with two peaks for IgM at weeks 5 and 9 and for IgG at weeks 4 and 8. The analysis of IR courses after therapy identified patients constantly seropositive or seronegative and patients with repeated seroconversions with a switch, disappearance, or reappearance of anti-23 kD or anti-39 kD antibodies during the one-year period. We suggest that the antibody production in EM patients may be missed due to an undulatory IR. This phenomenon might be an as yet insufficiently researched aspect in Lyme borreliosis.