Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi Cell-free DNA in Human Plasma Samples for Improved Diagnosis of Early Lyme Borreliosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Laboratory confirmation of early Lyme borreliosis (LB) is challenging. Serology is insensitive during the first days to weeks of infection, and blood polymerase chain reaction (PCR) offers similarly poor performance. Here, we demonstrate that detection of Borrelia burgdorferi (B.b.) cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma can improve diagnosis of early LB.

Methods

B.b. detection in plasma samples using unbiased metagenomic cfDNA sequencing performed by a commercial laboratory (Karius Inc) was compared with serology and blood PCR in 40 patients with physician-diagnosed erythema migrans (EM), 28 of whom were confirmed to have LB by skin biopsy culture (n = 18), seroconversion (n = 2), or both (n = 8). B.b. sequence analysis was performed using investigational detection thre

SUBMITTER: Branda JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8492203 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature