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More specific bands in the IgG western blot in sera from Scottish patients with suspected Lyme borreliosis
  1. Roger Evans1,
  2. Sally Mavin2,
  3. Susan McDonagh1,
  4. Jean M W Chatterton1,
  5. Rachel Milner2,
  6. Darrel O Ho-Yen1,2
  1. 1Microbiology Department, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, UK
  2. 2National Scottish Lyme borreliosis testing laboratory, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, UK
  1. Correspondence to Evans Roger, Microbiology Department, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness IV2 3UJ, UK; roger.evans{at}nhs.net

Abstract

Aims To identify further Western blot bands that may be specific in the diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis.

Methods The Borrelia burgdorferi antibody profiles of 270 western blot positive patients and 241 western blot negative patients from 2008 were examined.

Results 27 different non-specific bands were detected in both groups. Six of 27 (22%) of the non-specific bands were detected significantly more in the western blot positive patients compared to the western blot negative patients (20 kDa, p<0.0001; 28 kDa, p<0.002; 36 kDa, p<0.002; 37 kDa, p<0.007; 48 kDa, p<0.023; 56 kDa, p<0.028; two-tailed F test).

Conclusion Results suggest that the 20, 28 and 48 kDa bands should be regarded as specific.

  • Lyme borreliosis
  • western blot
  • diagnosis
  • microbiology

https://doi.org/10.1136/jcp.2010.076307

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests None.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.