Objectives: The aim of our work was to assess the serum concentration of soluble VAP-1 (sVAP-1) in patients with arthral type of borreliosis and erythema migrans.
Methods: We included in our study 30 patients in the age of 17-53 years who were treated for erythema migrans and 30 patients in the age of 25-63 years who were diagnosed with arthral type of borreliosis. The control group consisted of 30 healthy blood donors. The diagnosis of borreliosis was made on the basis of anamnesis, physical examination and additional tests, one of which proved the existence of IgM and IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi antigen present in the serum of patients. All samples for investigations were taken in a single collection manner. The serum concentration of sVAP-1 protein was assessed with ELISA method. All data were analysed statistically. We assumed 5% risk of conclusion error.
Conclusions: 1. We did not observe an increase in serum sVAP-1 concentration in patients with erythema migrans compared to the control group. All observed differences in the serum level of this protein seemed to be random ones. 2. We showed a statistically important increase in soluble sVAP-1 serum concentration in patients with arthral type of borreliosis compared to the control group.