A decrease in the immunoglobulin G antibody response against the VlsE protein of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato correlates with the resolution of clinical signs in antibiotic-treated patients with early Lyme disease.

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the LIAISON Borrelia Screen (Diasorin, Saluggia, Italy), a new automated immunoassay based on the chemiluminescent technology (chemiluminescence immunoassay). To assess whether a decrease in a negative value in the anti-VlsE immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titer was correlated with a positive response to treatment, a group of serially collected serum samples from 67 patients with culture-confirmed erythema migrans was retrospectively studied. All the patients had been treated with antibiotics and were free of disease within 3 to 6 months of follow-up. All the 15 patients who were found to be IgG positive at the time of enrollment and who were bled at least four times during the follow-up became IgG seronegative at 2 to 6 months posttreatment. These results indicate that a decline in the anti-VlsE antibody titer coincides with effective antimicrobial therapy in patients with early localized Lyme disease.