Aim: Acute peripheral facial palsy due to neuroborreliosis is associated with a distal neuritis. In patients with Lyme disease the activity of antioxidant enzymes is decreased. With respect to the pathogenesis of neuroborreliosis, sera of children with acute peripheral facial palsy were investigated for autoantibodies against human manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), which were suspected of raising the oxidative injury of infected tissues.
Methods: Sera of 20 children with acute peripheral palsy with neuroborreliosis, sera of 20 children with facial palsy without reference to Lyme disease and sera of 14 blood donors were tested for antibodies against human MnSOD using an ELISA.
Results: The concentrations of IgM autoantibodies to MnSOD of the children with neuroborreliosis were significantly increased, compared with the two control groups.
Conclusions: We propose that the antibodies detected block the protective effects of MnSOD resulting in an increased oxidative inflammation.