Implementation of lanthanide immunofluorescence assay (LIFA) for Lyme borreliosis detection in Serbia

Abstract

Lyme disease belongs to the group of natural-focus zoonoses. It is transmitted through activity of tick from genus Ixodes, which is transmitter of bacterium Borellia burgdorferi. Although this disease is thoroughly studied, significance of Lyme disese problem is not precisely determined in many countries where it was registered. This problem specifically concerns some of European countries, and it is caused by existence of several serotypes that initiate Lyme disease. Diagnostic of Lyme disease is based on three criteria: clinical manifestation, data that confirm thick bite and serological method, while serological diagnostic is only confirmation of clinical diagnostic. In praxis, most of cases is registered using only first and second criteria. In Serbia and most of the countries from the region Lyme disease is serologicaly confirmed by the test of indirect immunofluorescence or using ELISA test. In here presented study Lanthanide Immunofluorescence Analysis was used for detection of seroprevalence on Lyme disease in healthy population of Serbia. The presence of antibodies specific for group antigen of Borrelia burgdorferi was determined in 40,76% of population of Tutin, 4,54% of population of Kosovska Mitrovica, while there was no positive cases in the population of Krusevac. Obtained results on seroprevalence of population of Serbia are significantly higher comparing to official data of registered cases of Lyme disease obtained using ELISA test. Lanthanide Immunofluorescence Analysis is recommended as a method of choice for confirmation of Lyme disease diagnostic.

Lajmska bolest pripada grupi prirodnožarišnih zoonoza. Njeno prenošenje je omogućeno aktivnošću krpelja iz roda Ixodes koji su prenosioci bakterije Borellia burgdorferi. Mada je dosta izučavana, veličina problema Lajmske bolesti nije dovoljno utvrđena u mnogim zemljama gde je registrovana. Ovaj se problem posebno odnosi na zemlje Evrope, a uslovljen je postojanjem više serotipova koji izazivaju Lajmsku bolest. Dijagnoza Lajmske bolesti postavlja se na osnovu tri kriterijuma: kliničke slike, podatka o ubodu krpelja i serološke metode, pri čemu je serološka dijagnoza samo potvrda klinički postavljenoj sumnji na bolest. I pored toga najveći broj obolelih prijavljuje se često samo na osnovu prva dva kriterijuma. U Srbiji i većini zemalja u okruženju Lajmska bolest se serološki potvrđuje testom indirektne imunofluorescence ili primenom ELISA testa. U prezentovanoj studiji primenjena je lantanidna imunofluorescentna analiza za detekciju prokuženosti na Lajmsku bolest kod zdravog stanovništva Srbije. Utvrđeno je prisustvo antitela specifičnih za grupni antigen Borrelia burgdorferi kod stanovništva Tutina u 40,67% slučajeva, u Kosovskoj Mitrovici kod 4,54% stanovnika dok, u Kruševcu prisustvo ovih antitela nije detektovano. Rezultati prokuženosti stanovništva Srbije mnogostruko su veći od zvaničnih podataka obolelih od Lajmske bolesti dobijenih potvrđivanjem pomoću ELISA testa. Lantanidna metoda se stoga preporučuje kao metoda izbora za potvrdu dijagnoze Lajmske bolesti.