Promising new diagnostic test for borreliosis

[Guest guest]

This looks like it could be a significant improvement in PCR

detection of pathogenic borrelia:

http://tinyurl.com/4695f

The also used this PCR to detect positives in 25% of ticks in

Missouri and 35% in land. These ticks not only include Ixodes

scapularis, but also Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis.

Looks like pretty good work; I just skimmed the paper and need to

study it in more detail. Here's the abstract:

Journal of Applied Microbiology

Volume 98 Issue 4 Page 962 - April 2005

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2672.2005.02539.x

Improving the specificity of 16S rDNA-based polymerase chain

reaction for detecting Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato-causative

agents of human Lyme disease

T.L. Cyr1, M.C. 1, R.D. Hall2, E.J. Masters3 and G.A.

Mc4

Abstract

Aims: 16S rDNA sequences of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were

aligned with the 16S rDNA sequences of Borrelia hermsii, Borrelia

turicatae, and Borrelia lonestari in order to identify primers that

might be used to more specifically identify agents of human Lyme

disease in ticks in human skin samples.

Methods and Results: Standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using

an oligonucleotide sequence, designated TEC1, was shown, in

combination with a previously developed primer (LD2) to amplify

strains of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia afzelii, and

Borrelia garinii, but not the non-Lyme causing B. hermsii or B.

turicatae. This primer pair, designated Bbsl, was successfully used

to amplify B. burgdorferi sensu lato from skin biopsies of patients

with Lyme disease symptoms as well as from Ixodes scapularis,

Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis ticks.

Conclusions: The primer set Bbsl allows for the rapid detection and

differentiation of B. burgdorferi sensu lato from non-Lyme disease-

causing Borrelia species in ticks and human tissues.

Significance and Impact of the Study: The PCR primer set, Bbsl, will

greatly facilitate detection of the causative agents of Lyme disease

in infected ticks and human skin samples assisting in

epidemiological studies, and potentially allowing for a more rapid

diagnosis of the disease in patients.