NYMC Faculty Publications
Advances in Serodiagnostic Testing for Lyme Disease are at Hand
DOI
10.1093/cid/cix943
Journal Title
Clinical Infectious Diseases
First Page
1133
Last Page
1139
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2018
Department
Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Abstract
The cause of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, was discovered in 1983. A 2-tiered testing protocol was established for serodiagnosis in 1994, involving an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) or indirect fluorescence antibody, followed (if reactive) by immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G Western immunoblots. These assays were prepared from whole-cell cultured B. burgdorferi, lacking key in vivo expressed antigens and expressing antigens that can bind non-Borrelia antibodies. Additional drawbacks, particular to the Western immunoblot component, include low sensitivity in early infection, technical complexity, and subjective interpretation when scored by visual examination. Nevertheless, 2-tiered testing with immunoblotting remains the benchmark for evaluation of new methods or approaches. Next-generation serologic assays, prepared with recombinant proteins or synthetic peptides, and alternative testing protocols, can now overcome or circumvent many of these past drawbacks. This article describes next-generation serodiagnostic testing for Lyme disease, focusing on methods that are currently available or near-at-hand.
Recommended Citation
Branda, J., Body, B., Branson, B., Dattwyler, R., Fikrig, E., Witkowski, J., & Schutzer, S. (2018). Advances in Serodiagnostic Testing for Lyme Disease are at Hand. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 66 (7), 1133-1139. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cix943
Comments
Complete list of authors: John Branda, Barbara Body, Jeff Boyle, Bernard Branson, Raymond Dattwyler, Erol Fikrig, Noel Gerald, Maria Gomes-Soleck, Martin Kintrup, Michel Ledizet, Andrew Levin, Michael Lewinsju, Lance Liotta, Adriana Marques, Paul Mead, Emmanuel Mongodin, Segaran Pillai, Prasad Rao, William Robinson, Kristian Roth, Martin Schriefer, Thomas Slezak, Jessica Snyder, Allen Steere, Jan Witkowski, Susan Wong, Steven Schutzer