Tate Mitchell posted this to CO-CURE Mar 17 2010
Anti-neural antibody reactivity in patients with a history of Lyme borreliosis and persistent symptoms
Chandra A, Wormser GP, Klempner MS, Trevino RP, Crow MK, Latov N, Alaedini A.
Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
Brain Behav Immun. 2010 Mar 11. [Epub ahead of print]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20227484
Some Lyme disease patients report debilitating chronic symptoms of
pain, fatigue, and cognitive deficits despite recommended courses of
antibiotic treatment. The mechanisms responsible for these symptoms,
collectively referred to as post-Lyme disease syndrome (PLS) or
chronic Lyme disease, remain unclear. We investigated the presence of
immune system abnormalities in PLS by assessing the levels of
antibodies to neural proteins in patients and controls. Serum samples
from PLS patients, post-Lyme disease healthy individuals, patients
with systemic lupus erythematosus, and normal healthy individuals were
analyzed for anti-neural antibodies by immunoblotting and
immunohistochemistry. Anti-neural antibody reactivity was found to be
significantly higher in the PLS group than in the post-Lyme healthy
(p<0.01) and normal healthy (p<0.01) groups. The observed heightened
antibody reactivity in PLS patients could not be attributed solely to
the presence of cross-reactive anti-borrelia antibodies, as the
borrelial seronegative patients also exhibited elevated anti-neural
antibody levels. Immunohistochemical analysis of PLS serum antibody
activity demonstrated binding to cells in the central and peripheral
nervous systems. The results provide evidence for the existence of a
differential immune system response in PLS, offering new clues about
the etiopathogenesis of the disease that may prove useful in devising
more effective treatment strategies.
Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Anti-neural antibody reactivity in patients with a history of Lyme borreliosis and persistent symptoms
Chandra A, Wormser GP, Klempner MS, Trevino RP, Crow MK, Latov N, Alaedini A.
Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
Brain Behav Immun. 2010 Mar 11. [Epub ahead of print]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20227484
Some Lyme disease patients report debilitating chronic symptoms of
pain, fatigue, and cognitive deficits despite recommended courses of
antibiotic treatment. The mechanisms responsible for these symptoms,
collectively referred to as post-Lyme disease syndrome (PLS) or
chronic Lyme disease, remain unclear. We investigated the presence of
immune system abnormalities in PLS by assessing the levels of
antibodies to neural proteins in patients and controls. Serum samples
from PLS patients, post-Lyme disease healthy individuals, patients
with systemic lupus erythematosus, and normal healthy individuals were
analyzed for anti-neural antibodies by immunoblotting and
immunohistochemistry. Anti-neural antibody reactivity was found to be
significantly higher in the PLS group than in the post-Lyme healthy
(p<0.01) and normal healthy (p<0.01) groups. The observed heightened
antibody reactivity in PLS patients could not be attributed solely to
the presence of cross-reactive anti-borrelia antibodies, as the
borrelial seronegative patients also exhibited elevated anti-neural
antibody levels. Immunohistochemical analysis of PLS serum antibody
activity demonstrated binding to cells in the central and peripheral
nervous systems. The results provide evidence for the existence of a
differential immune system response in PLS, offering new clues about
the etiopathogenesis of the disease that may prove useful in devising
more effective treatment strategies.
Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.