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Culturing Lyme

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Valentijn

Senior Member
Messages
15,786
The apparently fool-proof way of determining Lyme status seems to be via traditional culturing. But this happens very rarely even in the research studies ascertaining the validity of mainstream or alternative testing. Why is it used so rarely? What process is involved? How lengthy and expensive is it? Is it really fool-proof, or is there a likely risk of false-negatives?

Does traditional Lyme culturing catch all types of Borrelia infection, or just Borrelia Burgdorferi? Does traditional culturing easily distinguish between the different types of Borrelia?

This discussion does not involve the private lab which cultures for consumers using a never method. That belongs in a different thread, if someone wants to discuss its accuracy.
 
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Helen

Senior Member
Messages
2,243
Valentijn said:
Does traditional Lyme culturing catch all types of Borrelia infection, or just Borrelia Burgdorferi? Does traditional culturing easily distinguish between the different types of Borrelia?
Click to expand...

Could the answers be found in this study??
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12069016

"The results of our study confirm that the use of direct molecular analytical methods for Borrelia genospecies identification in clinical specimens can provide epidemiological information additional to that obtained by culture."
 
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duncan

Senior Member
Messages
2,240
Well, the culture medium is the BSK media, but does it catch ALL species? Don't know.

Why is it difficult to culture Bb? It's not, at least not terribly, when EMs are present and are biopsied. But why otherwise? Spirochetes flee blood for tissue and other sanctuaries.

I know, I know, you want references....
 
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duncan

Senior Member
Messages
2,240
@Valentijn, the best discussion I could find is by Tom Grier. His discussion is under Information on Lymenet Europe. It is excellent. I do not know how to cut and paste it. Google "lyme culture difficulties" and you will pull it up immediately.

There is also a good discussion from John Aucott et al, 2005 J. Clin Microbiol, "Two-Year Evaluation of Bb Culture And Supplemental Tests For Definitive Diagnosis of Lyme Disease." As you will see, plasma and CSF can be used. It would appear that the rate of success for plasma draws was 27% - so three quarters of the time these draws and subsequent tesing mechanism with centrifuges etc - all costly - fail?

Edited to add: All direct culture methods in the Aucott et al study appeared to have been in early-stage Lyme. This makes sense as it parallels the capability presenting in EM rashes - also usually associated with early Lyme.
 
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