alÂ·kaÂ·line. adj. 1. Of, relating to, or containing an alkali. 2. a. Having a pH greater than 7. b. Having a relatively low concentration of hydrogen ions. 3.
Test Overview. A Lyme disease test detects antibodies to the Lyme disease bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi in the blood. Lyme disease bacteria are spread by certain kinds of ticks. Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to those of many other illnesses.
Share. Lyme disease is a clinical diagnosisâbased on your medical history, symptoms and exposure to ticks. Because the typical diagnostic tests for Lyme are so insensitive, a negative test result does not mean you donât have Lyme. There are many reasons why someone who actually has Lyme may have a negative test result.ther tests. Three other tests that may be used to diagnose Lyme disease are polymerase chain reaction (PCR), antigen detection and culture testing. They are called âdirectâ tests because they detect the bacteria, not just your immune response to it.