Detection of borreliacidal antibodies by flow cytometry

Lyme disease is a multisystem disorder that usually begins with a skin lesion called erythema migrans and with constitutional symptoms. If the disease is left untreated or treated inappropriately, dissemination of the organism can lead to more severe sequelae, including nervous system disorders or arthritis. Vaccinations with B. burgdorferi or several individual B. burgdorferi proteins induce borreliacidal antibodies that provide protection against infection by inducing a complement cascade that kills the spirochetes without the necessity of scavenging by phagocytic cells. Detection of borreliacidal antibodies is therefore useful for serodiagnosing Lyme disease and monitoring immune status after vaccination. This unit provides a technique for detecting anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies, as well as for preparing and determining the quality of Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly (BSK medium) and complement. In addition, methods are provided for preparation of a B. burgdorferi stock and Mueller-Hinton agar containing Bacillus subtilis spores.