[Serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis: antibody titer and specificity in the IFT and western blot].

Out of 334 sera from healthy persons from northern Bavaria 6% reacted positive in the indirect immunofluorescence test (IFT, titre greater than or equal to 1:64). The percentage of positive cases in patients with erythema chronicum migrans (ECM), meningoradiculitis (M. Bannwarth), or acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) was 43, 83 and 78%, respectively. In other patients with less characteristic symptoms in which an infection with B. burgdorferi was suspected the number of positive cases was only about 20%. A positive IgM-IFT was most often associated with ECM and M. Bannwarth; however, even in these cases IgM was only found in 30%. The serodiagnosis of Lyme disease required simultaneous serum testing of T. pallidum antibodies (TPHA) to exclude a syphilis with cross-reacting antibodies. In cases with a positive B. burgdorferi-IFT and TPHA the final diagnosis of Lyme disease was possible on the basis of Western blot analysis. The prominent antigens detected by sera from patients with Lyme disease--but not with syphilis--had molecular weights of 18, 22, 41 and 60 K; IgM antibodies were mainly directed against the 22 K and 41 K antigens. The antigen pattern was not characteristic for different disease stages.