Application of the Microcapsule Agglutination Test to Serologic Studies of an Early Stage of Lyme Disease in Japan

We previously found that the microcapsule agglutination test (MCAT) is valuable and convenient for the diagnosis of leptospirosis. We describe the application of MCAT to the early diagnosis of Lyme disease. The present studies clearly indicated that MCAT is more sensitive than ELISA for detecting specific antibodies from early Lyme disease patients. One reason MCAT is superior to conventional ELISA is that it may detect lower-avidity antibody, the main isotype in early immune response. MCAT would be especially valuable in the small laboratory because of its ease of use and lower cost.