Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Lyme Disease and the Fight for Recognition – A Documentary

http://  Approx. 43 Min

Lyme Disease and the Fight for Recognition

DW Documentary

April 7, 2023

Years of pain, paralysis and fear – without a diagnosis. For a long time, medicine seemed to ignore Lyme disease. The film accompanies several patients as they fight for an accurate diagnosis — and the right treatment. Many Lyme disease patients suffer for a long time before receiving a diagnosis. Their symptoms, including pain and paralysis, often seem to indicate other diseases, like MS. The fact that they have been bitten by a tick that carried Lyme disease often only emerges after many examinations.

This is exactly what happened to two of the film’s subjects: a girl from Brooklyn, NY and a researcher at Duke University. Both decided to take matters into their own hands and began carrying out independent research into their symptoms. Both ended up in the middle of a controversial medical debate and found themselves having to fight hard for adequate treatment.

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TV Specials on Lyme

There’s been some excellent coverage of tick-borne illness, yet nothing changes.

Category:

Activism, Lyme

Bacterial Biofilm & Its Role in the Pathogenesis of Disease

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7167820/

 2020 Feb; 9(2): 59.
Published online 2020 Feb 3. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics9020059
PMCID: PMC7167820
PMID: 32028684

Bacterial Biofilm and its Role in the Pathogenesis of Disease

Lene K. Vestby,1 Torstein Grønseth,2 Roger Simm,3 and Live L. Nesse4,*
Author information Article notes Copyright and License information PMC Disclaimer

Abstract

Recognition of the fact that bacterial biofilm may play a role in the pathogenesis of disease has led to an increased focus on identifying diseases that may be biofilm-related. Biofilm infections are typically chronic in nature, as biofilm-residing bacteria can be resilient to both the immune system, antibiotics, and other treatments. This is a comprehensive review describing biofilm diseases in the auditory, the cardiovascular, the digestive, the integumentary, the reproductive, the respiratory, and the urinary system. In most cases reviewed, the biofilms were identified through various imaging technics, in addition to other study approaches. The current knowledge on how biofilm may contribute to the pathogenesis of disease indicates a number of different mechanisms. This spans from biofilm being a mere reservoir of pathogenic bacteria, to playing a more active role, e.g., by contributing to inflammation. Observations also indicate that biofilm does not exclusively occur extracellularly, but may also be formed inside living cells. Furthermore, the presence of biofilm may contribute to development of cancer. In conclusion, this review shows that biofilm is part of many, probably most chronic infections. This is important knowledge for development of effective treatment strategies for such infections.

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Category:

Biofilm, Inflammation, Lyme, research, Uncategorized

Obstetrical and Neonatal Outcomes in Women With Gestational Lyme Disease

https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijgo.15380

Obstetrical and neonatal outcomes in women with gestational Lyme disease

First published: 21 January 2024
https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.15380
Read the full text

Abstract

Objective

The incidence of Lyme disease (LD) infections has risen in recent decades. Gestational LD has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, the results have been contradictory. The study objective was to examine the effects of gestational LD on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes.

Methods

Using the Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample from the United States, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of pregnant patients admitted to the hospital between 2016 and 2019. The exposed group consisted of pregnant patients with gestational LD infection (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision [ICD-10] code A692x), while the comparison group consisted of pregnant patients without gestational LD. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted for baseline maternal characteristics, were used to determine the associations between gestational LD and obstetrical and neonatal outcomes.

Results

The cohort included 2 ,943, 575 women, 226 of whom were diagnosed with LD during pregnancy. The incidence of LD was 7.67 per 100, 000 pregnancy admissions. The incidence of gestational LD was stable over the study period. Pregnant patients with LD were more likely white, older, to have private health insurance, and to belong to a higher income quartile. Gestational LD was associated with an increased risk of placental abruption (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.45 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.53–7.80]) and preterm birth (aOR, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.03–2.42]).

Conclusion

Gestational LD is associated with a higher risk of placental abruption and preterm birth. Pregnancies complicated by LD, while associated with a higher risk of certain adverse outcomes, can be followed in most healthcare settings.

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Category:

Lyme, Pregnancy, research, Transmission

Adaptive Immune Response Investigation in Lyme Borreliosis

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38165616/

Adaptive Immune Response Investigation in Lyme Borreliosis

Mihail Pruteanu 1, Armin Schwarzbach 2, Markus Berger 2

Abstract

To diagnose Lyme Borreliosis, it is advised to use an enzyme-linked immunosorbent test to check for serum antibodies specific for Lyme and all tests with positive or ambiguous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results being confirmed by immunoblot. This method of measuring the humoral immunity in human fluids (e.g., by ELISA) has provided robust and reproducible results for decades and similar assays have been validated for monitoring of B cell immunity. These immunological tests that detect antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi are useful in the diagnosis of Borreliosis on a routine basis. The variety of different Borrelia species and their different geographic distributions are the main reasons why standards and recommendations are not identical across all geographic regions of the world. In contrast to humoral immunity, the T cell reaction or cellular immunity to the Borrelia infection has not been well elucidated, but over time with more studies a novel T cell-based assay (EliSpot) has been developed and validated for the sensitive detection of antigen-specific T cell responses to B. burgdorferi. The EliSpot Lyme assay can be used to study the T cell response elicited by Borrelia infections, which bridges the gap between the ability to detect humoral immunity and cellular immunity in Lyme disease. In addition, detecting cellular immunity may be a helpful laboratory diagnostic test for Lyme disease, especially for seronegative Lyme patients. Since serodiagnostic methods of the Borrelia infection frequently provide false positive and negative results, this T cell-based diagnostic test (cellular assay) may help in confirming a Lyme diagnosis. Many clinical laboratories are convinced that the cellular assay is superior to the Western Blot assay in terms of sensitivity for detecting the underlying Borrelia infection. Research also suggests that there is a dissociation between the magnitude of the humoral and the T cell-mediated cellular immune responses in the Borrelia infection. Lastly, the data implies that the EliSpot Lyme assay may be helpful to identify Borrelia infected individuals when the serology-based diagnostic fails to do so. Here in this chapter the pairing of humoral and cellular immunity is employed to evaluate the adaptive response in patients.

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Category:

Lyme, research, Testing

Tickboot Camp Podcast: CEO & Founder of Envita Medical Centers

https://tickbootcamp.com/dino-prato-md/ Go here for Podcast

March 15, 2024

Dino Prato, MD

Doctor Dino Prato

Tick Boot Camp Podcast
Dr. Prato was featured on the Tick Boot Camp Podcast:

Coming soon….

About Dr. Dino Prato
Dr. Dino Prato is the CEO and Founder of Envita Medical Centers, Vertisis Custom Pharmacy, Genetic First Laboratories, and Unipathic Medicine. With a passion deeply rooted in personal and familial experiences, Dr. Prato has dedicated his career to transforming the treatment of Lyme disease and cancer. Under his leadership, Envita has developed groundbreaking approaches combining advanced genetic testing, precision-targeted treatments, and integrative natural therapies tailored to individual patient needs. This recipient of the Visionary Trailblazer Award strives continuously to innovate in the areas of immunotherapy and advanced precision medicine.

Envita Medical Centers: A Center of Excellence
Envita Medical Centers stand at the forefront of Lyme disease and cancer treatment, providing patients with innovative care options beyond conventional methods. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, Envita is renowned for its holistic and personalized treatment protocols, which include the latest in genetic diagnostics, immunotherapy, and advanced precision medicine techniques such as IRAD (Insulin Receptor Antibiotic Delivery) and PathoDNA testing.

Innovative Treatments and Technologies

  • IRAD (Insulin Receptor Antibiotic Delivery): A breakthrough in treating neurological Lyme disease by enhancing the delivery of medications across the blood-brain barrier.
  • PathoDNA Testing: Advanced genetic sequencing for precise identification of Lyme disease and co-infections, leading to tailored treatment plans.

Working with Dr. Prato and Envita
Patients seeking treatment for Lyme disease or cancer can expect a comprehensive and personalized care journey at Envita Medical Centers. Working with Dr. Prato and his team involves an in-depth assessment using advanced diagnostics to understand the unique aspects of each patient’s condition, followed by a customized treatment plan that integrates the best of conventional and natural therapies.

Contact and Consultation
To explore treatment options with Dr. Prato and Envita Medical Centers, patients can contact the center directly for a consultation. The team is dedicated to providing each patient with the attention, care, and innovative treatments they deserve on their path to recovery.

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Category:

Activism, Lyme