Projects / Programmes
Intrathecal borrelial antibody production in patients with suspected Lyme neuroborreliosis
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 3.01.00 |
Medical sciences |
Microbiology and immunology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B510 |
Biomedical sciences |
Infections |
Lyme borreliosis, Lyme neuroborreliosis, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, intrathecal antibody production
Researchers (2)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is a tick-transmitted infectious disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. It is endemic in Slovenia. Lyme neuroborreliosis is a form of the disease with central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Garin-Bujadoux-Bannwarth’s syndrome is the most typical form of Lyme neuroborreliosis; it is meningoradiculoneuritis with severe radicular pain and lymphocytic pleocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Peripheral or cranial nerves are sometimes affected. Since this is an early form of the disease, serological response can be lacking at the beginning. Other manifestations of Lyme neuroborreliosis are less specific and less frequent. Lyme neuroborreliosis has to be proved by laboratory tests, especially when the clinical course of the disease is not typical. Intrathecal borrelial antibody production and/or isolation of B. burgdorferi sensu lato from CSF prove borrelial infection of the CNS. The isolation of B. burgdorferi sensu lato from body fluids or tissues is a difficult, long-lasting and expensive procedure, available only in few laboratories. The method is very specific, but less sensitive. Although Borreliae grow well in laboratory conditions, the isolation from clinical specimen is difficult. Even in cases of firmly confirmed Lyme neuroborreliosis, the isolation of B. burgdorferi sensu lato from CSF is rarely successful. So the diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis is usually based on detected intrathecal borrelial antibody synthesis. With our clinical research we would like to evaluate this method more precisely, its role in the diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis, its advantages and disadvantages, to evaluate isolation and PCR for borrelial detection in Lyme neuroborreliosis patients, to gain more clinical data about them and to evaluate the treatment outcome.
Significance for science
Systematic collection of data of patients with suspected Lyme neuroborreliosis from their first visit, through diagnostics, treatment and follow-up is important for getting the information of epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical picture of the disease as well as laboratory results, evaluation of different diagnostic methods and therapy efficacy. Based on such data new information about the disease, diagnostic methods and treatment regime are obtained, which leads to implementation of new approaches in care of such patients.
Significance for the country
All the above mentioned (10.1) leads to a better approach to patients with suspected Lyme neuroborreliosis in Slovenia.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
