Circulating DNA and immune response characteristics in patients with early stages of tick-borne borreliosis
To assess the possibility of using circulating DNA diagnostic potential in tick-borne borreliosis, 61 patients and 60 healthy donors have been surveyed. With the purpose of establishment of immune response characteristics cytokine profile and antibodies level, specific to <i>Borrelia burgdorferi </i>s.l antigens were analyzed. At an early stage of tick-borne borreliosis induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion and increase in csb-cirDNA concentration were revealed before the development of specific antibodies. Further increase in csb-cirDNA concentration was significantly associated with the appearance of high titers of antibodies specific to <i>Borrelia burgdorferi </i>s.l. and with anti-inflammatory cytokines secretion increase. The data obtained indicate that further study of the cirDNA concentration is promising to evaluate its applicability as the additional diagnostic criterion of tick-borne borreliosis.