Preparations for serodiagnosis of diseases due to causative agents of ixodes tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease). Communication 3. Comparative study of enzyme immunoassay test-systems for detection of IgM to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato]

Three foreign and one Russian ELISA test-systems for detection of IgM to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were comparatively studied with the use of the clinical material in an encoded experiment. In the foreign ELISA test-systems based on the use of native antigens of borrelia, cross reactions with sera from patients with syphilis, Epstein-Barr infection, cytomegalovirus infection and systemic lupus erythematosus were detected. The Russian recombinant ELISA test-system Borreliosis-ELISA-IgM showed high sensitivity and specificity. The simultaneous use of the test-systems for detecting IgG and IgM significantly increased the efficacy of diagnosis of early borreliosis.     

Preparations for serodiagnosis of diseases due to causative agents of ixode tick-borne Borreliosis (Lyme disease). Communication 2. Comparative study of recombinant enzyme immunoassay test-systems (rELISA) for serological diagnosis of ixode tick-borne Borreliosis]

One foreign and two Russian recombinant enzyme immunoassay test-systems were comparatively investigated under conditions of an encoded experiment. Sensitivity in the experiment with the Russian test-systems Borreliosis-ELISA-IgG and Lyme Best was 63.8 and 68.8% respectively. As for the test-system Borrelia IgG Recombinant, it was 47.5%. All the test-systems were highly specific (94.4 to 99.5%). The test-systems Lyme Best and Borrelia IgG Recombinant revealed partial cross reactions with sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and leptospirosis.     

Borrelia species new to Russia--possible causative agents of ixodid tick-borne borreliosis]

18 Borrelia isolates, obtained in 1996-1997 from adult Ixodes ricinus collected from plants in the environs of Stavropol', were identified with the use of the polymerase chain reaction and the analysis of the polymorphism of the length of restriction fragments. Among them, in addition to B. garinii and B. afzelii, widely spread in Eurasia, 2 recently described species, B. valaisiana and B. lusitaniae, were found in Russia for the first time. Their possible spread and their importance in infectious pathology are described.     

Comparative population study of the etiological role of causative agents of purulent inflammatory diseases and serum antibodies to antigens of opportunistic microorganisms

The comparative study of the relationship between the levels of serum antibodies to the antigens of opportunistic microorganisms of 5 genera (Pseudomonas, Proteus, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Escherichia) and the microbial status was carried out. A total of 854 patients from 10 profile departments of a surgical hospital were examined. Population analysis and statistical methods of processing the results of the examination of 353 practically healthy subjects and 268 blood and plasma donors permitted the norms for the levels of specific antimicrobial antibodies (decreased, normal, elevated levels) were established. The constancy coefficients of Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Escherichia and the number of patients with elevated titers of specific serum antibodies were found to be positively correlated (r = +0.47-0.89, p < 0.01). The data thus obtained made it possible to substantiate the importance of population serological investigations for the evaluation of the epidemiological situation in the surgical hospital.