Medical & Clinical Research

Author(s): Alan B MacDonald

ELISA testing for detection of possible borrelia related antibodies in serum is an “Indirect” and antibody dependent technology because it seeks to identify the host antibody-dependent immune responses (free antibodies in serum) to past borrelia infections. Microscopic visualization of the actual borrelia spirochetes in blood or in tissue biopsies is a “direct” and antibody independent technology which is superior to “indirect” antibody dependent ELISA testing methods because it proves cases in which borrelia infection is ongoing, current, and unambiguous. Herein is a research study from thirty patients with ELISA negative serologies and whose physician-diagnosed symptom complexes were compatible with a status of “at risk for persistent/chronic Seronegative Lyme borreliosis”. Monoclonal antibody confirmed borrelia individual spirochetes and borrelia biofilms in whole blood in the 30 ELISA seronegative patients in the study group of volunteers. All patient smears were subsequently analyzed with a Coombs reagent (rabbit species antiglobulins to human IgG) optimized for diagnostic use in hospital blood banks to detect naturally produced human immunoglobulins in the bloodstream. Duplicate examination of whole blood smears with the two reagents above confirmed a group of Lyme ELISA seronegative patients whose whole blood smears contained antibody coated borrelia spirochetes of the Bbss and BBsl Burgdorferi groups. Spirochete-bound antibodies from whole blood examination identify “solid phase on the bodies of spirochetes “antibody deposits which are absent in dilute serum separated from clotted whole blood. “Antibody cloaked spirochetes in whole blood” represent patient Lyme borreliosis immune responses to infection which are overlooked in current blood serum only ELISA Lyme tests.