Clinical and serological features of Lyme borreliosis in different regions of Ukraine

Lyme borreliosis is an endemic disease of Western Ukraine. Infections are caused by members of the genus Borrelia.Main part. 275 children aged from 1 to 18 were examined in the laboratory of the Center for the Study of Lyme-borreliosis and other tick-borne infections.Material and methods. Serological examination of children was performed by the method of two-stage diagnosis, using ELISA primarily and confirming the results by immunoblotting. Baseline studies related to clinical and immunological examinations were performed, including data from Elisa and Immunoblot EUROLINE Borrelia RN-AT.Results. 275 children were examined. Among them were 179 children from the Ternopil region, 31 from Zhytomyr region, 30 from Khmelnytsky region, and 35 from Rivne region - aged 1-18. Children had non-specific manifestations of infection, namely, weakness, lethargy, malaise. They were screened for the presence of Ig M I IgG to B. burgdorferi s.l. Conclusions.1. The genotype of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto was found in children of some regions of Ukraine, Ternopil, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytsky, Rivne regions. 2. IgM to Ospc B. garinii antigens prevailed over Ospc b. afzelii, Ospc b. burdorferi in children of Ternopil region. 3. IgG to Vlse B. burdorferi antigens prevailed over the corresponding antigens of B. afzelii, Vlse B. garinii in children of Ternopil region. 4. The level of antibodies to antigens Ospc B. garinii, Ospc b. afzelii, Ospc b. burdorferi in the Khmelnytsky region predominate over the level of antibody antigens in other surveyed areas. 5. Compared to Ternopil oblast, Khmelnytsky oblast is the second most endemic for Lyme disease, as the level of IgG antibody titer in children of Ternopil (17.3 %) and Khmelnytsky (10 %) region are much higher than in Zhytomyr (6.4 %) and Rivne (2.8 %) area.