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Table 4 New or worsened symptoms in patients with Lyme borreliosis compared to controls at 6 and 12 months follow-up, HUMTICK study, Belgium, 2016–2020

From: Non-specific symptoms and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome in patients with Lyme borreliosis: a prospective cohort study in Belgium (2016–2020)

Time point

EM

N (%)

DISS

N (%)

Controls

N (%)

EM vs. controls

DISS vs. controls

RR (95% CI)

P-value

RR (95% CI)

P-value

Total N

 6 months

120

15

128

    

 12 months

94

11

81

    

PTLDS-related symptomsa

 Muscle pain

  6 months

11 (9.2)

2 (13.3)

3 (2.3)

3.91 (1.11–13.77)

0.034

5.69 (1.02–31.84)

0.048

  12 months

7.4 (7.9)

0 (0)

1 (1.2)

6.36 (0.79–51.27)

0.082

0 (0–Inf)

0.997

 Joint pain

  6 months

7 (5.8)

5 (33.3)

4 (3.1)

1.87 (0.56–6.25)

0.310

10.67 (3.18–35.83)

< 0.001

  12 months

11.6 (12.3)

4 (36.4)

6 (7.4)

1.66 (0.64–4.29)

0.296

4.91 (1.61–14.93)

0.006

 Fatigue

  6 months

15.2 (12.7)

5 (33.3)

4 (3.2)

4.02 (1.36–11.86)

0.012

10.55 (3.14–35.44)

< 0.001

  12 months

8 (8.5)

5 (45.5)

3 (3.7)

2.30 (0.62–8.45)

0.209

12.27 (3.33–45.17)

< 0.001

 Memory difficulties

  6 months

6 (5.0)

0 (0)

3 (2.3)

2.13 (0.54–8.40)

0.277

0 (0–Inf)

0.995

  12 months

6 (6.4)

0 (0)

2 (2.5)

2.59 (0.53–12.60)

0.238

0 (0–Inf)

0.996

 Concentration difficulties

  6 months

4 (3.3)

0 (0)

1 (0.8)

4.27 (0.48–38.05)

0.193

0 (0–Inf)

0.997

  12 months

5 (5.3)

1 (9.1)

0 (0.0)

Inf (0–Inf)

0.992

Inf (0–Inf)

0.997

 Wording difficulties

  6 months

2 (1.7)

0 (0)

4 (3.1)

0.53 (0.10–2.88)

0.464

0 (0–Inf)

0.995

  12 months

4 (4.3)

1 (9.1)

1 (1.2)

3.45 (0.39–30.69)

0.265

7.36 (0.48–113.68)

0.151

Other symptomsb

 Headache

  6 months

5 (4.2)

0 (0)

2 (1.6)

2.67 (0.52–13.59)

0.237

0 (0–Inf)

0.995

  12 months

3 (3.2)

0 (0)

2 (2.5)

1.29 (0.22–7.64)

0.776

0 (0–Inf)

0.996

 Sensory disorders

  6 months

7 (5.8)

1 (6.7)

1 (0.8)

7.47 (0.92–60.37)

0.059

8.53 (0.55–132.63)

0.125

  12 months

3 (3.2)

0 (0)

0 (0.0)

Inf (0–Inf)

0.995

1.00 (0–Inf)

> 0.999

 Night sweats

  6 months

3 (2.5)

0 (0)

3 (2.3)

1.07 (0.22–5.22)

0.936

0 (0–Inf)

0.995

  12 months

2 (2.1)

0 (0)

6 (7.4)

0.29 (0.06–1.40)

0.122

0 (0–Inf)

0.993

 Excessive sleeping

  6 months

5 (4.2)

0 (0)

3 (2.3)

1.78 (0.43–7.33)

0.424

0 (0–Inf)

0.995

  12 months

3 (3.2)

0 (0)

2 (2.5)

1.29 (0.22–7.64)

0.776

0 (0–Inf)

0.996

 Difficulties falling asleep

  6 months

2 (1.7)

1 (6.7)

5 (3.9)

0.43 (0.08–2.21)

0.312

1.73 (0.21–14.13)

0.609

  12 months

4.8 (5.0)

0 (0)

3 (3.7)

1.36 (0.32–5.74)

0.675

0 (0–Inf)

0.996

 Swollen joints

  6 months

2.3 (1.9)

1 (6.7)

2 (1.6)

1.20 (0.17–8.40)

0.850

4.27 (0.40–45.22)

0.226

  12 months

2 (2.1)

0 (0)

3 (3.7)

0.57 (0.10–3.40)

0.539

0 (0–Inf)

0.996

  1. EM erythema migrans, DISS disseminated/late Lyme borreliosis, N number, RR risk ratio, CI confidence interval, PTLDS post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome
  2. aWorsened standardized questionnaire score for symptoms included in definition
  3. bNo standardized questionnaire score included in definition