Health assessment research shows that cellular testing for Lyme disease can lead to unnecessary testing and treatment. Researchers from Amsterdam UMC, Radboudumc and RIVM have determined that these tests are unreliable and advise against their use. In an interview with the Federation, researchers and residents Ewoud Baarsma and Freek van de Schoor share how their VICTORY study contributes to the right care in the right place.
Lyme disease affects around 27,000 people a year in the Netherlands. Cellular tests are increasingly being used to determine if someone has Lyme disease. According to Baarsma, a resident of internal medicine at the UMC in Amsterdam, it’s not a good idea because research shows accuracy is very disappointing. “A number of cellular tests regularly incorrectly indicated that they did not have Lyme disease when they did. But most of all the opposite was true, the test came back positive, but the test subjects were not infected. The latter was much more common in cellular tests examined than current antibody tests. We think this is an important finding because far more people who do not have Lyme disease are tested than do. A false positive test result therefore has an impact. much greater in absolute terms. ‘
With the research, Baarsma and Van de Schoor not only want to help doctors, they also offer doctors tools to treat Lyme disease patients. “And this can vary from a dermatologist to a cardiologist,” says Van de Schoor, a PhD student in rheumatology at Radboudumc. Additionally, both residents are hoping the corona pandemic will bolster this research. ‘There appear to be similarities in complaints after diseases such as Lyme, Q fever and corona. But to be sure, more research is needed first.’
