Detection of immune complexes is not independent of detection of antibodies in Lyme disease patients and does not confirm active infection with Borrelia burgdorferi.

Abstract	The Borrelia burgdorferi-specific immune complex (IC) test, which uses polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation to isolate ICs from serum, has been used as a research test in the laboratory diagnosis of early Lyme disease (LD) and has been proposed as a marker of active infection. We examined whether B. burgdorferi-specific antibodies were present within PEG-precipitated ICs (PEG-ICs) in patients with LD, posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome, and controls, including individuals who received the outer surface protein A (OspA) vaccine. Using a B. burgdorferi whole-cell enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we obtained positive PEG-IC results not only in patients with a history of LD, but also in individuals vaccinated with OspA vaccine. The frequency of positive PEG-IC ELISAs in OspA vaccinees was significantly higher with ELISA-reactive than with ELISA-negative unprocessed serum samples (P=0.001), demonstrating dependency between the tests. Similar results were found using samples from rhesus macaques infected with B. burgdorferi, uninfected macaques vaccinated with OspA, and controls. Therefore, testing for the presence of antibodies against B. burgdorferi in PEG-IC preparations is not more likely to reflect active infection than testing in unprocessed serum and should not be used in individuals who received the OspA vaccine.
Authors	Adriana R Marques, Ronald L Hornung, Len Dally, Mario T Philipp
Journal	Clinical and diagnostic laboratory immunology (Clin Diagn Lab Immunol) Vol. 12 Issue 9 Pg. 1036-40 (Sep 2005) ISSN: 1071-412X [Print] United States
PMID	16148168 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)
Chemical References	Antibodies, Bacterial Antigen-Antibody Complex Biomarkers Polyethylene Glycols
Topics	Adult Aged Animals Antibodies, Bacterial (analysis, blood) Antigen-Antibody Complex (analysis, blood) Biomarkers (analysis, blood) Borrelia burgdorferi (immunology) Carrier State (immunology) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Female Humans Immunoprecipitation Lyme Disease (diagnosis, immunology) Macaca mulatta Male Middle Aged Polyethylene Glycols

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.

Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!