Polymerase chain reaction in Lyme borreliosis
Buffrini, L.; Grignolo, M.C.; Rovetta, G.; Monteforte, P.
Drugs under Experimental and Clinical Research 26(2): 67-70
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0378-6501 PMID: 10894557 Document Number: 516702
We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia burgdorferi infection), in patients in Italy with a confirmed diagnosis of the disease after clinical examination and standard serologic tests. There were 18 true positive results from nine samples from patients with present clinical signs, positive PCR, negative Western blot and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and nine samples with present clinical signs and positive ELISA and/or Western blot. The 51 true negative results were negative in all three methods used. There were 24 false positive results, positive for clinical signs, ELISA and/or Western blot but negative for PCR.