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. 1991 Mar;59(3):1050–1056. doi: 10.1128/iai.59.3.1050-1056.1991

Anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibody response over the course of Lyme neuroborreliosis.

S Baig 1, T Olsson 1, K Hansen 1, H Link 1
PMCID: PMC258366  PMID: 1997408

Abstract

Characteristic findings on examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in Lyme neuroborreliosis include mononuclear pleocytosis, oligoclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG) bands, and evidence for local production of specific antibodies. We utilized an immunospot assay to detect cells secreting anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies of different isotypes over the course of disease. Such cells were detected in CSF from 13 consecutive patients with neuroborreliosis examined before treatment. IgG antibody-secreting cells were present in high numbers (mean, 32 cells per 10(4) CSF cells), whereas IgA and IgM antibody-secreting cells were found less frequently and at lower numbers (mean, 5 and 6 cells per 10(4) CSF cells, respectively). Clinical improvement after penicillin treatment was paralleled by a rapid decline of antibody-secreting cells in CSF, but they were still detected, although at lower numbers, in 5 of 10 patients examined more than 6 months after treatment. This specific B-cell response persisted despite clinical improvement. Whether it reflects persistence of antigen is unsettled.

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Selected References

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