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Updated: Aug 10, 2025
Anti-Nuclear Antibody Screening Using HEp-2 Cells
Published on: June 23, 2014
Antinuclear Antibody Seropositivity in Fibromyalgia Associated with Borrelia-specific T Lymphocytes
Basant K Puri1, Gary S Lee2, Armin Schwarzbach3
1Faculty of Health and Well-Being, University of Winchester & C.A.R., Cambridge, UK.
Background:
Our group have recently reported that there is no evidence of an association between fibromyalgia and Borrelia-specific T lymphocytes. However, a small number of case reports has suggested that infection by the bacterial genus Borrelia may be associated with the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs).
Objective:
To test the hypothesis that those fibromyalgia patients who are ANA seropositive are more likely to show evidence of Borrelia-specific T lymphocyte reactivity than those who are seronegative.
Methods:
T lymphocyte reactivity to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (full antigen) was assessed using the enzyme-linked immunospot and serum ANA status was assessed using immunofluorescence in 27 fibromyalgia patients fulfilling the revised diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology.
Results:
The ANA seropositive and seronegative groups were matched for age, sex and ethnicity; the T lymphocyte reactivity to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (full antigen) in the former group (mean 5.60) was significantly higher than that in the seronegative group (mean 1.77; p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
This novel study points to an association of ANA seropositivity in fibromyalgia with Borrelia-specific T lymphocytes.
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