< Back to Research Top Published Date 08/05/2012 Direct molecular detection and genotyping of Borrelia burgdorferi from whole blood of patients with early Lyme disease Journal PLoS One Citation PLoS One. 2012;7(5):e3682 DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0036825 Authors Eshoo MW, Crowder CC, Rebman AW, Rounds MA, Matthews HE, Picuri JM, Soloski MJ, Ecker DJ, Schutzer SE, Aucott JN Abstract Direct molecular tests in blood for early Lyme disease can be insensitive due to low amount of circulating Borrelia burgdorferi DNA. To address this challenge, we have developed a sensitive strategy to both detect and genotype B. burgdorferi directly from whole blood collected during the initial patient visit. This strategy improved sensitivity by employing 1.25 mL of whole blood, a novel pre-enrichment of the entire specimen extract for Borrelia DNA prior to a multi-locus PCR and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry detection assay. We evaluated the assay on blood collected at the initial presentation from 21 endemic area patients who had both physician-diagnosed erythema migrans (EM) and positive two-tiered serology either at the initial visit or at a follow-up visit after three weeks of antibiotic therapy. Results of this DNA analysis showed detection of B. burgdorferi in 13 of 21 patients (62%). In most cases the new assay also provided the B. burgdorferigenotype. The combined results of our direct detection assay with initial physician visit serology resulted in the detection of early Lymedisease in 19 of 21 (90%) of patients at the initial visit. In 5 of 21 cases we demonstrate the ability to detect B. burgdorferi in early Lymedisease directly from whole blood specimens prior to seroconversion. URL Previous https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0036825 No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 01/12/2011 The pain of chronic Lyme disease: moving the discourse backward? Journal FASEB Journal Citation FASEB J. 2011 Dec;25(12):4085-7 DOI 10.1096/fj.11-1203LTR Authors Stricker RB, Johnson L Abstract About 30% of the population of the United States suffers from acute or chronic pain, often of unknown cause. Among this group might be included patients with symptoms claimed to be caused by a poorly defined condition called "chronic Lyme disease" in which chronic pain is a major contributor. Since there is no evidence to indicate that chronic Lyme disease is due to a persistent infection and that extended antibiotic therapy is beneficial and safe, this condition should not be viewed solely as an infectious disease problem. Rather, it should be considered within the context of a broad-based, multidisciplinary approach to determining the cause of chronic pain per se and developing more effective strategies for its treatment as outlined in a recent report on pain issued by the Institute of Medicine. URL Previous https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22131364 No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 24/09/2020 Anti-Biofilm Inhibitory Synergistic Effects of Combinations of Essential Oils and Antibiotics Journal Antibiotics (Basel) Citation (10):637 DOI 10.3390/antibiotics9100637. Authors Rosato A, Sblano S, Salvagno L, Carocci A, Clodoveo ML, Corbo F, Fracchiolla G Abstract In recent years, the increase of bacteria antibiotic- resistance has been a severe problem for public health. A useful solution could be to join some phytochemicals naturally present in essential oils (EOs) to the existing antibiotics, with the aim to increase their efficacy in therapies. According to in vitro studies, EOs and their components could show such effects. Among them, we studied the activity of Cinnammonum zeylanicum, Mentha piperita, Origanum vulgare, and Thymus vulgarisEOs on bacterial biofilm and their synergism when used in association with some common antibiotics such as norfloxacin, oxacillin, and gentamicin. The chemical composition of EOs was determined using gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) techniques. The EOs drug efficacy was evaluated on four different strains of Gram-positive bacteria forming biofilms. The synergistic effects were tested through the chequerboard microdilution method. The association EOs-antibiotics showed a strong destruction of the biofilm growth of the four bacterial species considered. The interaction of norfloxacin with EOs was the most effective in all the tested combinations against the strains object of this study. These preliminary results suggest the formulation of a new generation of antimicrobial agents based on a combination of antimicrobial compounds with different origin. Keywords: Cinnamomun zeylanicum; Mentha piperita; Origanum vulgare; Thymus vulgaris; anti-biofilm; antibiotic-resistance; gentamicin; norfloxacin; oxacillin; synergism. URL Previous https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/9/10/637 No Review Needed? Next

< Back Congenital Lyme & co-infections LRC 3 Jul 2022 From: Montecalvo Platform for Tick-Borne Illness Medical Education John Lambert, MD Full Clinical Professor at University College Dublin School of Medicine and Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Genitourinary Medicine at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital Description This module provides an overview of perinatal risks and outcomes related to congenital Lyme and co-infections. Learning objectives Describe the differing perinatal outcomes in vertical transmission of Borreliosis. List tick-borne pathogens that can be perinatally transmitted to a neonate. Discuss risks to infant from perinatally-acquired Relapsing Fever Borrelia infection. The AAFP has reviewed “Congenital Lyme & co-infections” and deemed it acceptable for AAFP credit. Term of approval is from 02/26/2022 to 02/25/2023. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This session is approved for 0.5 online enduring material activity AAFP Prescribed credits. Previous Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 27/10/2020 Borrelia miyamotoi Serology in a Clinical Population With Persistent Symptoms and Suspected Tick-Borne Illness Journal Frontiers in Medicine Citation Front Med (Lausanne). 2020; 7: 567350 DOI 10.3389/fmed.2020.567350 Authors Delaney SL, Murray LA, Aasen CE, Bennett CE, Brown E, Fallon BA Abstract Eighty-two patients seeking consultation for long-term sequalae after suspected tick-borne illness were consecutively tested for Borrelia miyamotoi antibodies using a recombinant glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (GlpQ) enzyme immunoassay. Twenty-one of the 82 patients (26%) tested positive on the GlpQ IgG ELISA. Nearly all of the patients (98%) had no prior B. miyamotoi testing, indicating that clinicians rarely test for this emerging tick-borne pathogen. Compared to patients who solely tested positive for Lyme disease antibodies, patients with B. miyamotoi antibodies presented with significantly more sleepiness and pain. A prospective study is needed to ascertain the relationship between the presence of B. miyamotoi antibodies and persistent symptoms. Keywords: Borrelia miyamotoi disease; Lyme disease; borreliosis; post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome; relapsing fever borrelia; serodiagnosis. URL Previous https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.567350/full No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 10/01/2020 Salp15, a Multifunctional Protein From Tick Saliva With Potential Pharmaceutical Effects Journal Frontiers in Immunology Citation 2.546527778 DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03067 Authors Wen S, Wang F, Ji Z, Pan Y, Jian M, Bi Y, Zhou G, Luo L, Chen T, Li L, Ding Z, Abi ME, Liu A, Bao F Abstract Ixodes ticks are the main vectors for a number of zoonotic diseases, including Lyme disease. Ticks secrete saliva directly into a mammalian host while feeding on the host's blood. This action serves to modulate host immunity and coagulation, thus allowing ticks to attach and feed upon their host. One of the most extensively studied components of tick saliva is Salp15. Research has shown that this protein binds specifically to CD4 molecules on the surface of T lymphocytes, interferes with TCR-mediated signaling transduction, inhibits CD4+ T cell activation and proliferation, and impedes the secretion of interleukin 2 (IL-2). Salp15 also binds specifically to dendritic cell dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing non-integrin (DC-SIGN) to up-regulate the expression of CD73 in regulatory T cells. Collectively, these findings render this salivary protein a potential candidate for a range of therapeutic applications. Here, we discuss our current understanding of Salp15 and the mechanisms that might be used to treat disease. Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Salp15; T cell; immunomodulation; therapeutic effects; tick. URL Previous https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6968165/ No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 12/10/2016 Human brucellosis in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 2010-2015 Journal BMC Infectious Diseases Citation BMC Infect Dis. 2016 Oct 12;16(1):558. DOI 10.1186/s12879-016-1900-9 Authors Al Shehhi N, Aziz F, Al Hosani F, Aden B, Blair I Abstract BACKGROUND: Worldwide, human brucellosis remains an important and widespread infection. In the past, there were limited data on the occurrence of human brucellosis in the United Arab Emirates and the reported incidence appeared to be low compared with similar areas. In 2009, a new web-based infectious disease surveillance system was introduced in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This paper reports data from this new system on human brucellosis for the 6 years 2010 to 2015. METHODS: A dataset was extracted for each case of human brucellosis reported to the notification system for the 6 year period January 2010 to December 2015. Annual brucellosis rates by age-group, gender, nationality and, geographical region were calculated and compared. RESULTS: A total of 480 cases of brucellosis were reported. The overall crude notification rate was 3???3 per 100,000 population but higher rates were seen in certain population subgroups notably expatriate males of working age in the Eastern Region (approximately 10 per 100,000) and UAE nationals of all ages and both genders in Abu Dhabi (between 4?--?24 per 100,000). CONCLUSIONS: These findings reflect environmental and behavioral factors linked to occupation and leisure time activities associated with the large number of small non-commercial livestock farms in Abu Dhabi. Controlling human brucellosis in these circumstances will be challenging. URL Previous https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-016-1900-9 No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 30/07/2019 Abstract A NEW COMPLICATION OF LYME DISEASE; SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY (SMA) Journal European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Citation Eur J Biomed Pharm Sci. (2019) 6:464?8 DOI ​ Authors Cetin B Abstract Lyme borreliosis is well known multisystem disease and can produce a wide array of neurological abnormalities in humans. It can effect both the central and peripheral nervous system. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) a leading genetic cause of infant death, is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by the selective loss of particular groups of motor neurones in the anterior horn of the spinal cord with concomitant muscle weakness. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is also a neuromuscular disease caused by abnormally low cellular levels of the ubiquitous protein SMN. Recent study finds connection between ALS and SMA. Respiratory failure due to bilateral diaphragm palsy as an early manifestation of ALS. Diaphragmatic paralysis and respiratory failure as a complication of Lyme disease. Lyme ??"associated diaphragm weakness from phrenic nerve palsy is rare. One of the rarest manifestations of phrenic nerve disorder is neuroborreliosis. I report two cases. 1-When she was 2 months baby, she had diagnosed with SMA. After three years, her LTT-Borrelia test result is positive. CD57+/CD3-(NK cells) % 0.48, (20 mm3), very low. C3 Compleman test result is low. Her mother???s (38 years old), LTT-Borrelia test result also positive. It is documented that transplacental transmission of the spirochete from mother to fetus is possible. 2- 13 years old son. He had diagnosed Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD),when he was 6 years old. He had, LTT-Borrelia positive test result, after 5 years. His father lyme test result was positive, when he was 57 years old. Eventually, these results reveal the need for consideration of Lyme borreliyosis in patients diagnosed with SMA for the first time. People who are diagnosed with SMA, DMD, ALS and similar neurodegenerative diseases have a great benefit in performing Lyme tests. URL Previous https://storage.googleapis.com/journal-uploads/ejbps/article_issue/volume_6_august_issue_8/1564794140.pdf No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 11/01/2019 A cross-sectional screening by next-generation sequencing reveals Rickettsia, Coxiella, Francisella, Borrelia, Babesia, Theileria and Hemolivia species in ticks from Anatolia Journal Parasites & Vectors Citation Parasit Vectors. 2019; 12: 26 DOI 10.1186/s13071-018-3277-7 Authors Brinkmann A, Hekimoglu O, Dincer E, Hagedorn P, Nitsche A, Ergunay K Abstract Background: Ticks participate as arthropod vectors in the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to humans. Several tick-borne infections have reemerged, along with newly described agents of unexplored pathogenicity. In an attempt to expand current information on tick-associated bacteria and protozoans, we performed a cross-sectional screening of ticks, using next-generation sequencing. Ticks seeking hosts and infesting domestic animals were collected in four provinces across the Aegean, Mediterranean and Central Anatolia regions of Turkey and analyzed by commonly used procedures and platforms. Results: Two hundred and eighty ticks comprising 10 species were evaluated in 40 pools. Contigs from tick-associated microorganisms were detected in 22 (55%) questing and 4 feeding (10%) tick pools, with multiple microorganisms identified in 12 pools. Rickettsia 16S ribosomal RNA gene gltA, sca1 and ompAsequences were present in 7 pools (17.5%), comprising feeding Haemaphysalis parva and questing/hunting Rhipicephalus bursa, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (sensu lato) and Hyalomma marginatum specimens. A near-complete genome and conjugative plasmid of a Rickettsia hoogstraalii strain could be characterized in questing Ha. parva. Coxiella-like endosymbionts were identified in pools of questing (12/40) as well as feeding (4/40) ticks of the genera Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis and Hyalomma. Francisella-like endosymbionts were also detected in 22.5% (9/40) of the pools that comprise hunting Hyalomma ticks in 8 pools. Coxiella-like and Francisella-like endosymbionts formed phylogenetically distinct clusters associated with their tick hosts. Borrelia turcica was characterized in 5% (2/40) of the pools, comprising hunting Hyalomma aegyptium ticks. Co-infection of Coxiella-like endosymbiont and Babesia was noted in a questing R. sanguineus (s.l.) specimen. Furthermore, protozoan 18S rRNA gene sequences were detected in 4 pools of questing/hunting ticks (10%) and identified as Babesia ovis, Hemolivia mauritanica, Babesiaand Theileria spp. Conclusions: Our metagenomic approach enabled identification of diverse pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms in questing and feeding ticks in Anatolia. Electronic supplementary material: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3277-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. URL Previous https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6329055 No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 13/12/2017 Variable manifestations, diverse seroreactivity and post-treatment persistence in non-human primates exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi by tick feeding Journal PLoS One Citation PLoS One. 2017 Dec 13;12(12):e0189071 DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0189071 Authors Embers ME, Hasenkampf NR, Jacobs MB, Tardo AC, Doyle-Meyers LA, Philipp MT, Hodzic E Abstract The efficacy and accepted regimen of antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease has been a point of significant contention among physicians and patients. While experimental studies in animals have offered evidence of post-treatment persistence of Borrelia burgdorferi, variations in methodology, detection methods and limitations of the models have led to some uncertainty with respect to translation of these results to human infection. With all stages of clinical Lyme disease having previously been described in nonhuman primates, this animal model was selected in order to most closely mimic human infection and response to treatment. Rhesus macaques were inoculated with B. burgdorferi by tick bite and a portion were treated with recommended doses of doxycycline for 28 days at four months post-inoculation. Signs of infection, clinical pathology, and antibody responses to a set of five antigens were monitored throughout the ~1.2 year study. Persistence of B. burgdorferi was evaluated using xenodiagnosis, bioassays in mice, multiple methods of molecular detection, immunostaining with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and an in vivo culture system. Our results demonstrate host-dependent signs of infection and variation in antibody responses. In addition, we observed evidence of persistent, intact, metabolically-active B. burgdorferi after antibiotic treatment of disseminated infection and showed that persistence may not be reflected by maintenance of specific antibody production by the host. URL Previous https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0189071 No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 18/08/2021 Recent Progress in Lyme Disease and Remaining Challenges Journal Frontiers in Medicine Citation Front. Med., 18 August 2021 DOI 10.3389/fmed.2021.666554 Authors Bobe JR, Jutras BL, Horn EJ, Embers ME, Bailey A, Moritz RL, Zhang Y, Soloski MJ, Ostfeld RS, Marconi RT, Aucott J, Ma'ayan A, Keesing F, Lewis K, Mamoun CB, Rebman AW, McClune ME, Breitschwerdt EB, Reddy PJ, Maggi R, Yang F, Nemser B, Ozcan A, Garner O, Di Carlo D, Ballard Z, Joung H-A, Garcia-Romeu A, Griffiths RR, Baumgarth N, Fallon BA Abstract Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis) is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States with an estimated 476,000 cases per year. While historically, the long-term impact of Lyme disease on patients has been controversial, mounting evidence supports the idea that a substantial number of patients experience persistent symptoms following treatment. The research community has largely lacked the necessary funding to properly advance the scientific and clinical understanding of the disease, or to develop and evaluate innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Given the many outstanding questions raised into the diagnosis, clinical presentation and treatment of Lyme disease, and the underlying molecular mechanisms that trigger persistent disease, there is an urgent need for more support. This review article summarizes progress over the past 5 years in our understanding of Lyme and tick-borne diseases in the United States and highlights remaining challenges. URL Previous https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.666554/full No Review Needed? Next

< Back to Research Top Published Date 02/03/2020 Azlocillin can be the potential drug candidate against drug-tolerant Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto JLB31 Journal Scientific Reports Citation Sci Rep 10, 3798 (2020) DOI 10.1038/s41598-020-59600-4 Authors Pothineni VR, Potula HSK, Ambati A, Mallajosyula VVA, Sridharan B, Inayathulla M, Ahmed MS, Rajadas J Abstract Lyme disease is one of most common vector-borne diseases, reporting more than 300,000 cases annually in the United States. Treating Lyme disease during its initial stages with traditional tetracycline antibiotics is effective. However, 10?20% of patients treated with antibiotic therapy still shows prolonged symptoms of fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and perceived cognitive impairment. When these symptoms persists for more than 6 months to years after completing conventional antibiotics treatment are called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Though the exact reason for the prolongation of post treatment symptoms are not known, the growing evidence from recent studies suggests it might be due to the existence of drug-tolerant persisters. In order to identify effective drug molecules that kill drug-tolerant borrelia we have tested two antibiotics, azlocillin and cefotaxime that were identified by us earlier. The in vitro efficacy studies of azlocillin and cefotaxime on drug-tolerant persisters were done by semisolid plating method. The results obtained were compared with one of the currently prescribed antibiotic doxycycline. We found that azlocillin completely kills late log phase and 7?10 days old stationary phase B. burgdorferi. Our results also demonstrate that azlocillin and cefotaxime can effectively kill in vitro doxycycline-tolerant B. burgdorferi. Moreover, the combination drug treatment of azlocillin and cefotaxime effectively killed doxycycline-tolerant B. burgdorferi. Furthermore, when tested in vivo, azlocillin has shown good efficacy against B. burgdorferi in mice model. These seminal findings strongly suggests that azlocillin can be effective in treating B. burgdorferi sensu stricto JLB31 infection and furthermore in depth research is necessary to evaluate its potential use for Lyme disease therapy. URL Previous https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59600-4 No Review Needed? Next