The C6 Lyme enzyme immunoassay is an effective diagnostic tool for children who are being tested for Lyme disease, according to Susan C. Lipsett, MD, and her associates.
Of the 944 samples collected for the study, 114 were positive for Lyme disease. The sensitivity of C6 enzyme immunoassay (EIA) testing alone was 79.8% and the specificity was 94.2%, slightly less than the standard two-tiered testing approach, which had a sensitivity of 81.6% and a specificity of 98.8%. The specificity of C6 EIA testing was increased to 98.6% when a supplemental immunoblot was added to testing.
©KUO CHUN HUNG/Thinkstock
The specificity of C6 EIA testing alone was significantly lower than standard testing in the control group. When the supplemental immunoblot was added to testing, the specificity of C6 EIA testing did match the specificity of standard testing in children who did not have Lyme disease.
“Although supplemental immunoblots are still required to confirm a Lyme disease diagnosis, our study supports using the C6 EIA as a first-line diagnostic test in children undergoing evaluation for Lyme disease. In the appropriate clinical scenario, the C6 EIA could limit unnecessary procedures and allow for prompt initiation of appropriate therapy,” the investigators concluded.
Find the full study in Clinical Infectious Diseases (doi:10.1093/cid/ciw427).