Determination of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in sarcoidosis.

Abstract

Borrelia burgdorferi, i.e. the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, has been causatively linked to sarcoidosis. To evaluate the possible role of this spirochete in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis we tested for the presence of antibodies to B. burgdorferi on serum samples obtained from 21 sarcoid patients living in an Italian mountain area where Lyme borreliosis is endemic. No patient showed antibodies to B. burgdorferi. Our data does not substantiate the hypothesis that sarcoidosis may be a borreliosis.