Lyme disease(LD),caused by Borrelia burgdorferi,is themost common vector-borne disease in the United States and Europe.Despite the standard 2–4 weeks'antibiotic treatment,approximately 10%–20%of patients will de...Lyme disease(LD),caused by Borrelia burgdorferi,is themost common vector-borne disease in the United States and Europe.Despite the standard 2–4 weeks'antibiotic treatment,approximately 10%–20%of patients will develop posttreatment LD syndrome,a condition that is poorly understood.One of the probable causes is thought to be the presence of B.burgdorferi persister forms that are not effectively killed by the current LD antibiotics.In this study,we evaluated nitroxoline,an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections,for its activity against a stationary-phase culture enriched with persister forms of B.burgdorferi.Nitroxoline was found to be more active than doxycycline and equally active as cefuroxime(standard LD antibiotics)against B.burgdorferi.Importantly,the nitroxoline two-drug combinations nitroxoline+cefuroxime and nitroxoline+clarithromycin,as well as the nitroxoline three-drug combination nitroxoline+cefuroxime+clarithromycin,were as effective as the persister drug daptomycin-based positive control three-drug combination cefuroxime+doxycycline+daptomycin,completely eradicating stationary-phase B.burgdorferi in the drug-exposure experiments and preventing regrowth in the subculture study.Future studies should evaluate these promising drug combinations in a persistent LD mouse model.展开更多
Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma generally occurs in the context of chronic inflammation or autoimmune disorders. The most common infections linked to MALT lymphomas include <em>Helicobacter pyl...Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma generally occurs in the context of chronic inflammation or autoimmune disorders. The most common infections linked to MALT lymphomas include <em>Helicobacter pylori </em>(<em>Hp</em>)-associated gastritis, <em>Chlamydophila psittacii</em> and hepatitis C infection. Although <em>Borrelia burgdorferi </em>infection has been linked to primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL), there is no known link between <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> infection and MALT lymphomas in the US. We report a patient who developed mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the colon in the context of untreated Lyme arthritis, and no other autoimmune disorders or infections known to be associated with MALT lymphoma. We recommend that Lyme disease due to <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> be considered as a possible underlying infection potentially contributing to the emergence of extranodal lymphoma.展开更多
Chronic Lyme disease is predicated by an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi via tick vector. B. burgdorferi has been extensively researched with regard to its genome and cell biology. There are many unique characteri...Chronic Lyme disease is predicated by an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi via tick vector. B. burgdorferi has been extensively researched with regard to its genome and cell biology. There are many unique characteristics to the bacteria itself;however, serological diagnostics and diagnosis based on symptoms can be complicated and potentially misleading. Other promising diagnostics were also evaluated in this review. Treatment of the chronic Lyme disease can be complicated and at times ineffective. The purpose of this review is to examine B. burgdorferi from a biological and clinical perspective.展开更多
Worldwide, wild birds play a vital role in the dispersal of ticks that harbour tick-borne pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease bacterium. Using PCR testing, we found 124 (31%) of 405 ticks (4 sp...Worldwide, wild birds play a vital role in the dispersal of ticks that harbour tick-borne pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease bacterium. Using PCR testing, we found 124 (31%) of 405 ticks (4 species), which were collected from 21 species of birds in far-western Canada, to be infected with B. burgdorferi. Transstadial transmission of B. burgdorferi occurred from larva to nymph, plus nymph to adult, in the avian coastal tick, Ixodes auritulus, collected from songbirds in British Columbia (B.C). Collectively, all 3 motile life stages (larva, nymph, adult) of this tick had an infection prevalence of 31% for B. burgdorferi, which suggests vector competency. A Pacific Wren was highly infested with I. auritulus immatures, and 20 (44%) of 45 ticks (2 nymphs, 43 larvae) were infected with B. burgdorferi. This heavy infestation shows the high potential to initiate a new population of ticks and to disseminate Lyme spirochetes. Epidemiologically, B. burgdorferi-infected I. auritulus larvae collected from the Spotted Towhee, Swainson’s Thrush, Pacific Wren, and Fox Sparrow suggest that these avian hosts act as reservoirs for B. burgdorferi. In this study, the western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus, and Ixodes spinipalpis played a limited role in the enzootic transmission cycle of B. burgdorferi along coastal B.C. We document the first record of I. spinipalpis on a bird in Alberta. Because songbirds widely disperse Lyme disease vector ticks, primary health providers and the general public must be vigilant that outdoors people may be bitten by B. burgdorferi-infected ticks throughout far-western Canada.展开更多
Morgellons disease (MD) is a multi-system disorder characterized by multicolor filaments extruding out of the skin along with an array of dermatologic and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It was previously termed Delusional...Morgellons disease (MD) is a multi-system disorder characterized by multicolor filaments extruding out of the skin along with an array of dermatologic and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It was previously termed Delusional parasitosis. However, published scientific data found the association of MD symptoms with the systemic manifestations of Lyme disease, caused by <em>Borrelia spirochete</em>. In a retrospective study of 122 MD patients, skin specimens were examined and 96% of them showed <em>Borrelia spirochete</em> in their histology sample. Hence, this association suggests that spirochete infection could be a possible cause of chronic illness in MD patients, and this rejected the physician’s perception that MD lesions might be self-inflicted. A cohort study reported tick-borne co-infections among MD patients, which could also be an etiological factor for dermopathy in MD patients. Some literature also discussed neuropsychiatric manifestations like cognitive impairment, dementia anxiety, depression, paranoia, and sensory hallucinations in Lyme disease and associated tick-borne infection. The objectives of this review are to identify the differences in the past and current perception regarding the pathogenesis of MD and determine the associations of spirochetal and tick-borne diseases with MD and psychiatric illnesses. More than 50 new research articles and case reports were reviewed and only 31 articles were shortlisted and used as references. This review has a detailed discussion on Morgellons disease and its association with Spirochete infection.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the precise species of tick vector and the Borrelia spirochete pathogen at the Heilongjiang Province international border with Russia.Methods:In dus study,ticks were collected from 12 Heilongj...Objective:To investigate the precise species of tick vector and the Borrelia spirochete pathogen at the Heilongjiang Province international border with Russia.Methods:In dus study,ticks were collected from 12 Heilongjiang border crossings(including grasslands,shrublands,forests,and plantantions) to determine the rate and species type of spirochete-infected ticks and the most prevalent spirochete genotypes.Results:The ticks represented three genera and four species of the Ixodidae family[Ixodes persidcatus,Dermacentor silvarum,Haemapkysalis concinna and Haemaphysalis japonica].Ixodes persulcatus had the highest amount of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lata infection of 25.6%and the most common species of Borrelia isolated from Ixodes persulcatus mas Borrelia garinii,strain PD91.Conclusions:Our results suggest that Borrelia garinii PD91- infected Ixodes persulcatus may be the principal cause of Lyme disease in the border crossing areas of Heilongjiang Province.展开更多
莱姆病是一种人兽共患病,已严重威胁人类健康,成全球公共卫生问题,引起全球关注.伯氏疏螺旋体是莱姆病病原体,通过蜱叮咬传播而引起莱姆病,其表面存在的膜蛋白具有免疫性和致病性.BmpA(Borreliaburgdorferi membrance protein A)是伯氏...莱姆病是一种人兽共患病,已严重威胁人类健康,成全球公共卫生问题,引起全球关注.伯氏疏螺旋体是莱姆病病原体,通过蜱叮咬传播而引起莱姆病,其表面存在的膜蛋白具有免疫性和致病性.BmpA(Borreliaburgdorferi membrance protein A)是伯氏疏螺旋体的主要抗原之一,为层粘连蛋白结合蛋白,是莱姆关节炎的重要致病因子,对蛋白功能、诊断应用和莱姆关节炎致病机理三方面的研究进展进行概述.展开更多
基金supported by the Global Lyme Alliance,the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation,the LivLyme Foundation,NatCapLyme,and the Einstein-Sim Family Charitable Fund.
文摘Lyme disease(LD),caused by Borrelia burgdorferi,is themost common vector-borne disease in the United States and Europe.Despite the standard 2–4 weeks'antibiotic treatment,approximately 10%–20%of patients will develop posttreatment LD syndrome,a condition that is poorly understood.One of the probable causes is thought to be the presence of B.burgdorferi persister forms that are not effectively killed by the current LD antibiotics.In this study,we evaluated nitroxoline,an antibiotic used to treat urinary tract infections,for its activity against a stationary-phase culture enriched with persister forms of B.burgdorferi.Nitroxoline was found to be more active than doxycycline and equally active as cefuroxime(standard LD antibiotics)against B.burgdorferi.Importantly,the nitroxoline two-drug combinations nitroxoline+cefuroxime and nitroxoline+clarithromycin,as well as the nitroxoline three-drug combination nitroxoline+cefuroxime+clarithromycin,were as effective as the persister drug daptomycin-based positive control three-drug combination cefuroxime+doxycycline+daptomycin,completely eradicating stationary-phase B.burgdorferi in the drug-exposure experiments and preventing regrowth in the subculture study.Future studies should evaluate these promising drug combinations in a persistent LD mouse model.
文摘Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma generally occurs in the context of chronic inflammation or autoimmune disorders. The most common infections linked to MALT lymphomas include <em>Helicobacter pylori </em>(<em>Hp</em>)-associated gastritis, <em>Chlamydophila psittacii</em> and hepatitis C infection. Although <em>Borrelia burgdorferi </em>infection has been linked to primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL), there is no known link between <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> infection and MALT lymphomas in the US. We report a patient who developed mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the colon in the context of untreated Lyme arthritis, and no other autoimmune disorders or infections known to be associated with MALT lymphoma. We recommend that Lyme disease due to <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> be considered as a possible underlying infection potentially contributing to the emergence of extranodal lymphoma.
文摘Chronic Lyme disease is predicated by an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi via tick vector. B. burgdorferi has been extensively researched with regard to its genome and cell biology. There are many unique characteristics to the bacteria itself;however, serological diagnostics and diagnosis based on symptoms can be complicated and potentially misleading. Other promising diagnostics were also evaluated in this review. Treatment of the chronic Lyme disease can be complicated and at times ineffective. The purpose of this review is to examine B. burgdorferi from a biological and clinical perspective.
文摘Worldwide, wild birds play a vital role in the dispersal of ticks that harbour tick-borne pathogens, including Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease bacterium. Using PCR testing, we found 124 (31%) of 405 ticks (4 species), which were collected from 21 species of birds in far-western Canada, to be infected with B. burgdorferi. Transstadial transmission of B. burgdorferi occurred from larva to nymph, plus nymph to adult, in the avian coastal tick, Ixodes auritulus, collected from songbirds in British Columbia (B.C). Collectively, all 3 motile life stages (larva, nymph, adult) of this tick had an infection prevalence of 31% for B. burgdorferi, which suggests vector competency. A Pacific Wren was highly infested with I. auritulus immatures, and 20 (44%) of 45 ticks (2 nymphs, 43 larvae) were infected with B. burgdorferi. This heavy infestation shows the high potential to initiate a new population of ticks and to disseminate Lyme spirochetes. Epidemiologically, B. burgdorferi-infected I. auritulus larvae collected from the Spotted Towhee, Swainson’s Thrush, Pacific Wren, and Fox Sparrow suggest that these avian hosts act as reservoirs for B. burgdorferi. In this study, the western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus, and Ixodes spinipalpis played a limited role in the enzootic transmission cycle of B. burgdorferi along coastal B.C. We document the first record of I. spinipalpis on a bird in Alberta. Because songbirds widely disperse Lyme disease vector ticks, primary health providers and the general public must be vigilant that outdoors people may be bitten by B. burgdorferi-infected ticks throughout far-western Canada.
文摘Morgellons disease (MD) is a multi-system disorder characterized by multicolor filaments extruding out of the skin along with an array of dermatologic and neuropsychiatric symptoms. It was previously termed Delusional parasitosis. However, published scientific data found the association of MD symptoms with the systemic manifestations of Lyme disease, caused by <em>Borrelia spirochete</em>. In a retrospective study of 122 MD patients, skin specimens were examined and 96% of them showed <em>Borrelia spirochete</em> in their histology sample. Hence, this association suggests that spirochete infection could be a possible cause of chronic illness in MD patients, and this rejected the physician’s perception that MD lesions might be self-inflicted. A cohort study reported tick-borne co-infections among MD patients, which could also be an etiological factor for dermopathy in MD patients. Some literature also discussed neuropsychiatric manifestations like cognitive impairment, dementia anxiety, depression, paranoia, and sensory hallucinations in Lyme disease and associated tick-borne infection. The objectives of this review are to identify the differences in the past and current perception regarding the pathogenesis of MD and determine the associations of spirochetal and tick-borne diseases with MD and psychiatric illnesses. More than 50 new research articles and case reports were reviewed and only 31 articles were shortlisted and used as references. This review has a detailed discussion on Morgellons disease and its association with Spirochete infection.
文摘Objective:To investigate the precise species of tick vector and the Borrelia spirochete pathogen at the Heilongjiang Province international border with Russia.Methods:In dus study,ticks were collected from 12 Heilongjiang border crossings(including grasslands,shrublands,forests,and plantantions) to determine the rate and species type of spirochete-infected ticks and the most prevalent spirochete genotypes.Results:The ticks represented three genera and four species of the Ixodidae family[Ixodes persidcatus,Dermacentor silvarum,Haemapkysalis concinna and Haemaphysalis japonica].Ixodes persulcatus had the highest amount of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lata infection of 25.6%and the most common species of Borrelia isolated from Ixodes persulcatus mas Borrelia garinii,strain PD91.Conclusions:Our results suggest that Borrelia garinii PD91- infected Ixodes persulcatus may be the principal cause of Lyme disease in the border crossing areas of Heilongjiang Province.
文摘莱姆病是一种人兽共患病,已严重威胁人类健康,成全球公共卫生问题,引起全球关注.伯氏疏螺旋体是莱姆病病原体,通过蜱叮咬传播而引起莱姆病,其表面存在的膜蛋白具有免疫性和致病性.BmpA(Borreliaburgdorferi membrance protein A)是伯氏疏螺旋体的主要抗原之一,为层粘连蛋白结合蛋白,是莱姆关节炎的重要致病因子,对蛋白功能、诊断应用和莱姆关节炎致病机理三方面的研究进展进行概述.
