Document 0505
 DOCN  M9550505
 TI    Serological tests for Lyme disease in patients with tropical spastic
       paraparesis and healthy Jamaicans.
 DT    9505
 AU    Smikle MF; Morgan OS; Barton EN; Bailey V; Blattner WA; Department of
       Microbiology, University of the West Indies, Mona,; Kingston, Jamaica.
 SO    Trop Geogr Med. 1994;46(5):329-30. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/95159228
 AB    The significance of reactive serological tests for Lyme disease in
       patients with tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) was assessed by
       examining serum samples from 128 of these patients and 200 healthy
       Jamaicans by Lyme indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA), enzyme
       immuno-assay (EIA) and Western blot analyses. Sera were also examined in
       serological tests for syphilis (STS), an unabsorbed fluorescent
       treponemal antibody test and leptospira microagglutination test. The
       prevalence of positive Lyme IFA and EIA results did not differ
       significantly between sera from TSP patients (12.5%) and healthy
       controls (10.0%). Western blot analyses showed that the positive Lyme
       IFA and EIA results observed in this study were due to false positive
       reactions. Seventy-five per cent of Lyme IFA/EIS positive sera from TSP
       patients had treponemal antibodies. Eighty per cent of those from
       healthy controls were negative in standard STS but 85% were positive
       when tested in an unabsorbed fluorescent treponemal antibody (FTA).
       These data indicate that reactive serological tests for Lyme disease in
       Jamaican TSP patients and healthy Jamaicans are false positive reactions
       due to cross-reactivity with other spirochaetes, notably Treponema
       pallidum and non pathogenic treponemes.
 DE    Adolescence  Adult  Aged  Antibodies, Bacterial/ISOLATION & PURIF
       Blotting, Western  Cross Reactions  False Positive Reactions  Female
       Fluorescent Antibody Technique  Human  Immunoenzyme Techniques  Jamaica
       Lyme Disease/COMPLICATIONS/*DIAGNOSIS  Male  Middle Age  Paraparesis,
       Tropical Spastic/BLOOD/*COMPLICATIONS  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).