A group at Linköping University used several ELISpot assays to look deeper into the immune responses in patients with chronic Lyme disease to understand why some individuals develop chronic symptoms despite adequate antibiotic treatment.
This study investigated immune responses in patients with chronic Lyme borreliosis (LB) to understand why some individuals develop chronic symptoms despite adequate antibiotic treatment. Researchers compared immune markers and cytokine profiles in chronic LB patients, subacute LB patients, asymptomatic individuals previously exposed to Borrelia, and healthy controls.
Key findings highlighted through the use of ELISpot included the reduced number of Borrelia-specific interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-secreting cells in chronic LB patients compared to asymptomatic individuals, suggesting a weakened T helper 1 (Th1) response in chronic LB. ELISpot was also used to assess the secretion of various cytokines (e.g., IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-5), which helped demonstrate that patients with chronic LB had an impaired immune response, characterized by lower Th1 activity and higher expression of regulatory T cell markers such as FoxP3 mRNA.
This suggests that a strong Th1 response may be important for clearing Borrelia infection, and the elevated presence of regulatory T cells might contribute to immune suppression, leading to chronic symptoms in some patients. ELISpot was crucial in identifying these differences in cytokine secretion and immune cell activity, offering insights into the immunological mechanisms potentially driving chronic LB.
