Laboratory Diagnosis of Tick-Borne Infections
Part 2
PCR for Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in Blood
July 2010
This would support what other authors have found regarding testing of blood by PCR for Lyme disease. In general, testing of this sample type provides low clinical sensitivity, ranging from 10% to 52%. Positive results seem to correlate most with the presence of signs and symptoms of disseminated disease. And because of the low sensitivity, the CDC actually cautions against performing PCR on blood and urine for Borrellia burgdorferi DNA, and it considers them to be inappropriate specimens. Unfortunately, this isn’t widely appreciated, and many physicians continue to order Lyme PCR on blood in lieu of other more appropriate specimens or recommended serologic tests.
PCR for Detection of
Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in Blood |
Jump to section:
- Introduction
- Presentation Outline
- Tick-Borne Diseases
- Advantages and Limitations of Conventional Tests
- Molecular Diagnostic Methods Potential Advantages
- Molecular Diagnostic Methods Potential Disadvantages
- Treatment and Diagnostic Recommendations
- Case 1
- Diagnostic Workup
- Representative Image Giemsa-stained Peripheral Blood Smear
- Differential Diagnosis
- Which one is Plasmodium falciparum?
- Main Morphologic Features Table
- Classic Maltese Cross
- Extracellular Forms of Babesiosis
- Side-by-Side Comparison
- Further Workup
- Malaria PCR
- Babesia microti PCR
- Advantages/Uses of PCR
- Potential Disadvantages
- Potential Disadvantages
- Case 2
- Lyme Disease: Diagnostic Approach
- Reported Cases of Lyme Disease, 2008
- Serologic Assay: Test of Choice for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease
- Case 2, Further Workup
- Potential Roles for PCR
- Which Specimens Should be Tested by PCR?
- PCR for Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in Blood
- Case 3
- Live Tick Image
- Tick Image Close Up
- IDSA Guidelines
- IDSA Guidelines, continued
- Testing of Ticks by PCR
- Case 4
- Tick-Borne PCR Panel
- Diagnostic Tests for HME and HGA
- PCR for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis
- Ehrlichia and Anaplasma PCR Assay Graph
- Phylogenetic Tree
- Ehrlichia muris-like Organism
- All Patients with EML had Tick Exposure
- Prevention of Tick-Borne Diseases
- Conclusions
- Conclusions, continued
- Questions?
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