Clinical Relevance of Different IgG and IgM Serum Antibody Responses to Borrelia burgdorferi After Antibiotic Therapy for Erythema Migrans

Serological and Clinical one year follow-up of Patients with Erythema migrans treated in a Romanian Infectious Disease Hospital

“…In our study the IgM persistent positive profile was described in 10 patients, all with good response to antibiotic therapy and similar results were found by Glatz et al [23]. In the Slovenian study of Stupica et al, [24], 44.14% of patients presented were seropositive at the one year follow up, while 96.1% of the patients had a complete clinical response to therapy. The former study showed that the proportion of seropositive patients significantly decreased between the 2 nd and the 6 th month follow-ups.…”

“…[31] The age of the patients, the interval between tick bite and EM occurrence, the interval between EM occurrence and treatment initiation or duration of antibiotic treatment were not associated in our study with positive IgM antibodies at the one year follow up. Glatz at al [24], and Aguero Rosenfeld et al [32] found that the IgG antibody response was significantly correlated with the duration of EM before therapy and the large size of the EM, which was not concordant with our results even if there was a tendency for longer interval for positive IgG serology at one year. [24,32] In our study the IgG positive antibodies were significantly higher at the follow up in patients older than 57, and with longer incubation periods.…”

“…Glatz at al [24], and Aguero Rosenfeld et al [32] found that the IgG antibody response was significantly correlated with the duration of EM before therapy and the large size of the EM, which was not concordant with our results even if there was a tendency for longer interval for positive IgG serology at one year. [24,32] In our study the IgG positive antibodies were significantly higher at the follow up in patients older than 57, and with longer incubation periods. The type or duration of antibiotic treatment did not influence serological profile at one year in our study or in the larger study on 113 patients of Glatz et al [24].…”

“…[24,32] In our study the IgG positive antibodies were significantly higher at the follow up in patients older than 57, and with longer incubation periods. The type or duration of antibiotic treatment did not influence serological profile at one year in our study or in the larger study on 113 patients of Glatz et al [24].…”

“…[24] After therapy, the lack of antibody development may be due to abrogation of infection by adequate antimicrobial treatment. A number of treated, initially nonreactive patients may therefore remain seronegative.…”