Systemic immune responses in patients with early localized or early disseminated Borrelia afzelii lyme borreliosis.

No significant differences in systemic immune responses represented by selected cytokines or chemokines in serum samples of patients with EM infected with B. afzelii suggest that systemic mediators are not pivotal in the pathogenesis of dissemination of early infection in the form of MEM or LB-associated symptoms. Localized immune responses in the skin or other pathogenetic mechanisms may be more important in this regard.