HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by PANELIUS, J. Articles by SEPPÄLÄ, I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by PANELIUS, J. Articles by SEPPÄLÄ, I. Agricola Articles by PANELIUS, J. Articles by SEPPÄLÄ, I.

Recombinant OspC from Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii and B. garinii in the serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis

JAANA PANELIUS^*, PEKKA LAHDENNE, TERO HEIKKILÄ^*,, MIIKKA PELTOMAA, JARMO OKSI and ILKKA SEPPÄLÄ^*,||

*Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Helsinki, Department of Medicine, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku and ||HUCH Laboratory Diagnostics, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland

Corresponding author: Dr J. Panelius (e-mail: jaana.panelius{at}helsinki.fi).

Received 22 March 2002; accepted 4 April 2002.

Abstract

Genes for the outer-surface protein C (OspC) from three north European human isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii and B. garinii were cloned and sequenced. Polyhistidine-tagged recombinant OspC (rOspC) proteins were produced in Escherichia coli and used, after biotinylation, as antigens on streptavidin-coated plates in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). In IgM ELISA, 30% (5/17) and 35% (6/17) of patients with erythema migrans (EM) in the acute or convalescent phase, respectively, reacted with one to three rOspCs. Of the patients, 53% (8/15) with neuroborreliosis (NB) and 53% (8/15) with Lyme arthritis (LA) had IgM antibodies to OspC. The immunoreactivity was stronger against rOspC from B. afzelii and B. garinii than against rOspC from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto. In early Lyme borreliosis (LB), rOspC and flagella performed equally well in detecting IgM antibodies. Cross-reactive antibodies to rOspC were observed in serum samples from patients with rheumatoid factor positivity and with syphilis or Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. In IgM ELISA, thiocyanate in the serum dilution buffer reduced EBV-associated non-specific positive reactions. Of the patient sera examined in IgG ELISA, 30% (5/17) with EM in the acute phase, 35% (6/17) with EM in the convalescent phase, 33% (5/15) with NB and 60% (9/15) with LA were positive. Because of the heterogeneity of OspC, a polyvalent antigen with several OspC variants from at least B. afzelii and B. garinii is needed to improve the sensitivity of OspC ELISA in the serodiagnosis of LB in Europe.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Mueller, S. Bunk, I. Diterich, M. Weichel, C. Rauter, D. Hassler, C. Hermann, R. Crameri, and T. Hartung Identification of Borrelia burgdorferi Ribosomal Protein L25 by the Phage Surface Display Method and Evaluation of the Protein's Value for Serodiagnosis. J. Clin. Microbiol., October 1, 2006; 44(10): 3778 - 3780. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Aguero-Rosenfeld, G. Wang, I. Schwartz, and G. P. Wormser Diagnosis of Lyme Borreliosis Clin. Microbiol. Rev., July 1, 2005; 18(3): 484 - 509. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]