Antibodies and T-cell reactivity to Borrelia burgdorferi in an asymptomatic population: a study of healthy blood donors in an inland town district in the south-east of Sweden.

Abstract

To address the issue of whether Borrelia infection can be asymptomatic, blood donors with no history of borreliosis (n = 408) were screened for antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi. Seropositive individuals (n = 17) were further investigated with respect to Borrelia-specific T-cell reactivity, using an interferon-gamma ELISPOT assay. Anti-Borrelia antibodies as well as Borrelia-specific T-cell responses were evident in 9 asymptomatic donors, strongly supporting a current or previous asymptomatic Borrelia infection.

• Authors: C Ekerfelt, C Masreliez, M Svenvik, J Ernerudh, M Roberg, P Forsberg
• Journal: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases (Scand J Infect Dis) Vol. 33 Issue 11 Pg. 806-8 ( 2001) ISSN: 0036-5548 [Print] England
• PMID: 11760157 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Bacterial
• Antigens, Bacterial
• Interferon-gamma

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Antibodies, Bacterial (blood)
• Antigens, Bacterial (blood)
• Blood Donors
• Borrelia burgdorferi (immunology)
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
• Female
• Humans
• Interferon-gamma (metabolism)
• Lyme Disease (epidemiology, immunology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prevalence
• Sweden (epidemiology)
• T-Lymphocytes (metabolism)