Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Can Lyme Disease Lead to Bladder Problems?

https://www.bca-clinic.com/can-lyme-disease-cause-bladder-problems/

Can Lyme Disease Lead To Bladder Problems?

10. February 2020in BCA-clinic

Lyme disease can cause many disparate symptoms over the course of its progression. It’s often called ‘The Great Imitator’ because many of its generalised symptoms resemble the symptoms of other, more prominent chronic conditions. This makes it very difficult to diagnose, and misdiagnosis rates are suspected to be extremely high. Compounding this is the fact that chronic Lyme is not widely recognised as a legitimate disorder. Despite many thousands of people suffering from long-term Lyme symptoms, hugely different from the accepted acute symptoms, the condition remains an outlier. Therefore, patient and doctor education on Lyme disease in all its forms is not as good as it should be. Many symptoms fall by the wayside because of this, and either go uninvestigated or misdiagnosed. Bladder issues might not be the first thing you associate with Lyme disease; but can Lyme disease cause bladder problems?

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease was christened in the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 1975. This is relatively recent for a major disease, which speaks of its insidious nature. Lyme is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is spread to humans via the deer (or black-legged) tick in America, and the castor bean tick in Europe. Ticks are conduits of disease-causing bacteria, and often carry many different strains simultaneously. However, not every tick carries Borrelia burgdorferi and not every tick bite from those that do will result in Lyme.

Although the disease is often associated with America, particularly the north-eastern states, it is a global issue. Lyme rates remain alarmingly high in Europe as well as the U.S., with global warming compounding the issue. As the global temperature increases, ticks are able to live longer and migrate further, thereby increasing the instances of Lyme all over the world.

Image by Meli1670 on Pixabay: Despite many thousands of people suffering from long-term Lyme symptoms, the condition remains an outlier.

Acute vs. Chronic Lyme

The initial symptoms of Lyme present much like the flu. They manifest a day or two after the tick bite, and often involve a headache, fatigue, aches and fever – standard flu symptoms. The calling card of Lyme is a distinctive bullseye-shaped rash, which is present at the site of the bite in the majority of cases. If this is present, Lyme can be conclusively diagnosed. However, it is often overlooked, as many times people don’t realise they’ve been bitten. If treated with antibiotics, acute Lyme can be resolved rapidly and successfully for many patients. However, if that window is missed, Lyme will progress to its chronic long-term form, bringing with it a whole host of new, problematic symptoms.

Chronic Lyme represents an interplay between infection symptoms and inflammation symptoms. The former is caused by the underlying Borrelia infection, while the latter is caused by the body’s exaggerated response to the persistent bacteria. Because of this, a wide spectrum of symptoms is possible, varying in severity depending on the patient. The highly resistant Borrelia bacteria can travel and infect various parts of the body, including the neurological system and the pulmonary system.

Can Lyme disease lead to bladder problems?

Can Lyme disease affect your bladder? Some experts say it might. Bladder conditions might seem inferior to more severe issues relating to the brain and heart. But anyone who’s suffered from bladder pain can testify that it’s not a symptom to be taken lightly. The uniform name for frequent urination, bladder pain and inflammation is interstitial cystitis (IC), although a diagnosis of this disorder often means that the root cause is unknown. So does Lyme disease cause interstitial cystitis?

Lyme specialists are claiming there is a frequent crossover between Lyme symptoms and bladder issues, although not many studies have been conducted on this apparent link. There is seemingly also a connection between stomach issues, a common complaint of Lyme patients, and bladder problems. An animal study, conducted in 2006, found that in rodents, Borrelia burgdorferi is most often found in the bladder. While this and the anecdotal evidence are intriguing, it remains an unexplored area in the field of Lyme disease.

Image by Qaudronet_Webdesign on Pixabay: Can Lyme disease cause frequent urination? Some experts are suggesting it might.

Another, more recent study has provided a more concrete link in humans. This one found that voiding dysfunction (a catchall term used to describe poor coordination between the bladder muscle and the urethra) can appear as an early or late stage symptom of Lyme. Micturition (urination) disorders can subsequently occur via two paths. The first involves the Borrelia bacteria directly invading the bladder. The second occurs as a by-product of neuroborreliosis, a symptom of Lyme caused by the Borrelia bacteria breaching the blood-brain barrier and inflaming the brain. This is a serious manifestation of chronic Lyme disease, which has repercussions for many different areas of the body.

Seven out of seven patients who suffered from Lyme encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain) reported reflex response problems with their bladders.

While it seems conclusive to say that there is some link between chronic Lyme disease and bladder problems, most doctors won’t have the necessary Lyme education to correctly diagnose it as such. Lyme specialists (like BCA-clinic in Germany) are few and far between; and until more medical professionals are aware of the insidious dangers of chronic Lyme in all its potential forms, patients will continue to suffer sustained misdiagnoses.

Featured image by mohamed_hassan on Pixaba

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/26/interstitial-cystitis-and-lyme-disease/

Excerpts:

People with interstitial cystitis feel like they have a bladder infection that never goes away. It doesn’t respond to antibiotics, and urine cultures are typically negative. Because these patients are often treated repeatedly with antibiotics, however, they frequently end up having chronic urinary tract infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria induced by taking antibiotics. The condition occurs more often in women than men at a 5:1 ratio.

I’m starting to hear from chronic Lyme patients who suffer from bladder pain and symptoms consistent with IC. I’m also hearing from men with chronic Lyme who have bladder symptoms and chronic prostatitis (chronic infection of the prostate gland).

And, interestingly, remembering back to patients from the past, sufferers of IC frequently had chronic pain in other areas of the body. Many of them also had fatigue and symptoms common to fibromyalgia and chronic Lyme disease.

And, according to Dr. Rawls, a former OBGYN,

This makes me believe there has to be a microbial connection. Borrelia, the microbe commonly associated with Lyme disease, could be a culprit. However, I would lay odds on mycoplasma and a closely related bacterium called ureaplasma. About 75% of chronic Lyme disease sufferers have been found to harbor at least one species of mycoplasma.

According to Garth Nicolson, who’s wife survived a lethal form of bioweaponized Mycoplasma,

90% of evaluated ALS patients had Mycoplasma. 100% of ALS patients with Gulf War Syndrome had Mycoplasma and nearly all of those were specifically the weaponized M. fermentans incognitus.

*One of the hallmark symptoms of Mycoplasma is fatigue*

And the bad news for us is that Nicholson’s experience has found Mycoplasma to be the number one Lyme coinfection, and similar to other coinfections can be supposedly cleared for years only to reappear when conditions are right.

His latest paper on treating Myco:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/02/25/pathogenic-mycoplasma-infections-in-chronic-illnesses-general-considerations-in-selecting-conventional-and-integrative-treatments/

The bioweaponized form of Mycoplasma was designed to go undetected.  It doesn’t have a cell wall, making it tough to treat.

Category:

Lyme, Mycoplasma, research, Treatment

Neuroimmunology: What Role For Autoimmunity, Neuroinflammation, and Small Fiber Neuropathy in Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Adverse Events After HPV Vaccination?

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/20/20/5164

Neuroimmunology: What Role for Autoimmunity, Neuroinflammation, and Small Fiber Neuropathy in Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Adverse Events after Human Papillomavirus Vaccination?

by Varvara A. Ryabkova 1, Leonid P. Churilov 1,2 and Yehuda Shoenfeld 1,3,*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(20), 5164; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20205164
Received: 22 July 2019 / Revised: 26 September 2019 / Accepted: 16 October 2019 / Published: 18 October 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Sensitivity Illnesses: Mechanisms and Molecular Signatures)

View Full-Text Download PDF

Abstract

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and non-pain symptoms, such as fatigue, dysautonomia, and cognitive and sleep disturbances. Its pathogenesis and treatment continue to be the subject of debate. We highlight the role of three mechanisms—autoimmunity, neuroinflammation, and small fiber neuropathy—in the pathogenesis of the disease. These mechanisms are shown to be closely interlinked (also on a molecular level), and the review considers the implementation of this relationship in the search for therapeutic options. We also pay attention to chronic fatigue syndrome, which overlaps with fibromyalgia, and propose a concept of “autoimmune hypothalamopathy” for its pathogenesis. Finally, we analyze the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroinflammatory background in the development of adverse events following HPV vaccination and suggesting neuroinflammation, which could exacerbate the development of symptoms following HPV vaccination (though this is hotly debated), as a model for fibromyalgia pathogenesis. View Full-Text
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https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/24/more-deaths-after-hpv-vaccination/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/29/shocking-flaws-in-gardasil-trial-design-prevents-safety-assessment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/03/editors-of-medical-journals-confirm-hpv-vaccines-cause-more-harm-than-good-science-author-facing-death-threats/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/28/merck-accused-of-fraud-deceit-and-negligence-in-u-s-gardasil-case/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/14/gardasil-and-female-reproduction/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/02/16/gardasil-vasculitis-msids/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/07/19/motor-and-sensory-findings-in-girls-who-received-gardasil/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/02/sacrificial-virgins-hpv-vaccine/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/02/hpv-after-vaccines/

Category:

research, vaccines

Why is Lyme Disease So Hard to Treat?

https://globallymealliance.org/why-is-lyme-disease-so-hard-to-treat/

FEBRUARY 28, 2020

why-is-lyme-so-hard-to-treat_gla-blog

FOR MANY LYME DISEASE PATIENTS, THE BACTERIA SEEM TO OUTSMART ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT. WHY?

It’s a hotly debated topic, and one that is still not completely understood – what causes the persistent symptoms in many Lyme disease patients?  Why is it that 10-20% of patients, after early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics, continue to face long-term, chronic, even debilitating, symptoms including joint or muscular pain, fatigue, and/or neurocognitive problems? And why do patients diagnosed later in their disease often have a more difficult time finding an effective treatment? Key possible culprits, persister bacteria, are under investigation, and researchers are uncovering their fascinating and diverse array of adaptive abilities, with the goal of one day eradicating them and more effectively helping patients.

LYING IN WAIT

Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete bacteria that cause Lyme disease, have an elaborate lifecycle, critical for their own day-to-day survival. They have evolved adaptations to multiple, sometimes harsh, environments – moving from bloodmeal-source host animals to ticks, repeating the cycle back into host animals, and sometimes into humans. Persistence is an essential and multi-faceted strategy that B. burgdorferi and other bacteria use to survive and adapt to their highly varied environments.

Unfortunately, these same adaptive abilities may also provide B. burgdorferi the ability to survive an onslaught of antibiotics. In vitro (in culture), treatment with antibiotics kills off most cells, but a small number survive because they adapt to have a new superpower – they are tolerant (although not resistant) to an aggressive antibiotic challenge. Their strategy is to lie dormant during an onslaught of antibiotics, changing their protein composition and shape. When the conditions are just right, and the antibiotics are cleared from the host’s system, they can then transform back into mobile spirochete form (thus giving them the freedom to resurge and multiply). GLA-funded research by Kim Lewis and his team at Northeastern University as well as research by GLA-funded Ying Zhang and his group at Johns Hopkins University revealed this amazing strategy. Their teams independently confirmed the existence in culture of dormant, persister B. burgdorferi, providing evidence that these persisters arise during antibiotic treatment and transform back into mobile spirochetes post-treatment. Whether this phenomenon occurs in patients remains to be shown, but it suggests a way to explain why antibiotic treatment is inadequate in a sizeable proportion of patients.

Interestingly, persistence is not unique to B. burgdorferi. The bacteria that cause other chronic diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, syphilis and leprosy) also form persisters.

A MASTER OF DISGUISE

How do persisters survive harsh conditions such as antibiotic treatment? For one, they have an altered gene expression profile, producing key proteins which allow them to live in the presence of antibiotics. Throughout its life cycle, B. burgdorferi is a master chameleon, transforming itself from its corkscrew-shaped spirochete form into a variety of shapes, such as round (metacyclic), L-form bacteria, spore-like granules or cysts, and then back again into spirochetes. These different forms can impact diagnosis. For example, there is some limited evidence that B. burgdorferi takes on L-forms in spinal fluid, which could impact methods used for screening when a case of neuroborreliosis (a neurological manifestation of Lyme disease) is suspected, for example.

Borrelia bacteria in the blood
Borrelia bacteria in the blood

B. burgdorferi, similarly to other bacteria, may also transform itself into biofilms, which are a complex aggregate of bacteria with a protective slimy mucus layer surrounding it. Studies by Kim Lewis provided evidence of biofilms contributing to persistence in other diseases, such as Cystic Fibrosis and oral thrush. However, there is only minimal in vitro evidence in the case of B. burgdorferi, which is limited in usefulness until more research is done, and further studies will illuminate whether biofilm forms of B. burgdorferi exist in patients.

Yet another strategy used by the wily B. burgdorferi and other bacteria is to invade host cells. For example, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, can exist in a dormant persister state in TB lesions, which necessitates much longer antibiotic treatment in patients than is seen in vitro. Some preliminary findings suggested that in cultured neurons, glial cells, macrophages, and skin keratinocytes, atypical and cystic B. burgdorferi have been found.

PROMISING RESEARCH

Researchers have had very limited success in cultivating replicating B. burgdorferi directly from animals or humans post-antibiotic treatment, which is part of the difficulty in doing experiments on persisters. There is some indirect evidence of persisters from multiple studies in animals (mice, dogs, monkeys) infected with B. burgdorferi and treated with antibiotics. For example, using a mouse model of Lyme disease, after one month of antibiotic treatment, researchers isolated B. burgdorferi DNA and detected non-dividing but infectious spirochetes.

Researchers have also been able to isolate live B. burgdorferi from animals using ‘xenodiagnostic ticks’, in which uninfected ticks feed from an infected animal or human and become infected after feeding. This offers proof that the host was infected with B. burgdorferi. In a study with infected animals who exhibited a clear resurgence of bacteria following antibiotic treatment, B. burgdorferi was then isolated using xenodiagnostic ticks, a strong indication that these are persisters.

When B. burgdorferi-infected nonhuman primates were treated with antibiotics, bacteria were also recovered from multiple tissues, suggesting that bacteria could survive. Signs of inflammation in and around these tissues were also observed.

In an exciting 2019 study, Ying Zhang and team isolated slow-growth forms of B. burgdorferi (including biofilm-like, round body and spirochetes) from culture and compared mice inoculated with these slow-growing forms versus mice inoculated with fast-growing spirochetal B. burgdorferi. The slow-growth persister B. burgdorferi were not only more tolerant to the standard Lyme disease antibiotic treatment with doxycycline or ceftriaxone but they were also associated with more severe arthritis in mice than the fast-growing spirochete form. However, a cocktail of antibiotics – Daptomycin, Doxycycline and Ceftriaxone – did successfully eradicate the infection in the mice infected with slow-growing persisters. Human studies modeled after these would be helpful in understanding the disease course, especially the response to antibiotics.

In other studies, different cocktails of antibiotics, as well as essential oils, have been successful in eradicating B. burgdorferi in vitro. Disulfiram, a drug used for treating alcoholism, has been shown to be extremely effective in eradicating many forms of B. burgdorferi in vitro and in mice, and in a small study in humans.

Despite all these promising results in culture and in animals, trials in humans have not advanced well. Based on research done to date, researchers cannot confirm or exclude that live persisters are present in antibiotic-treated patients who have persistent symptoms (i.e., patients with post-treatment Lyme disease symptoms). One large part of the problem is the shortage of confirmed Lyme disease patients for clinical trials, as many patients lack concrete clinical (serological) evidence of having Lyme disease. In three separate clinical trials, only 4% of 5457 patients made it through the screening process to enter a trial.

Altogether, some critical groundwork has been established in the study of persisters.  However, studies surrounding persisters are still in early stages, and their connection to ongoing symptoms of post-treatment Lyme and chronic Lyme still warrant more confirmation and extended studies. There is a great need for evidence-based research conducted at all levels of research involving persisters, from in vitro studies through clinical trials. Supporting these efforts calls for improved diagnostics and detection methods for persisters, and an incremental move into larger-scale human studies which confirm the presence of live persisters and explore treatment options. GLA is optimistic that with future studies, there will be new breakthroughs in this very important area.

By Global Lyme Alliance and Dana Barberio, M.S., Scientific/Medical Writer and Principal, Edge Bioscience Communications

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Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment

Spirochetes in Sputum of Chronic Lyme Patient

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/spirochaetes-sputum-patient-chronic-lyme-borreliosis-peter-kemp/

Spirochaetes in the Sputum of a patient with chronic Lyme borreliosis

Peter Kemp

Private researcher at Private borreliosis research
No alt text provided for this image

INTRODUCTION. Over the past 15 years since I joined support groups for patients with Lyme disease, an occasional and recurring topic of discussion has been breathing problems. These include a chronic cough and what some have described as having symptoms like persistent low-grade pneumonia. My recent microscopy study of sputum demonstrates the presence of significant numbers of spirochaetes showing varied morphology.

METHODS. Various methods to prepare slides were used. The simplest and a fairly effective method involves putting a small sample on a microscope slide with an added drop of DI water or saline. Wait a few seconds for the sample to absorb as much water as possible. This is carefully squashed with a 50mm glass coverslip until the sample spreads and becomes thin enough for high-power darkfield microscopy. Alternative 1. With the sample in a suitable sample collection tube with a cap, an equal volume of DI water or normal saline is added and the tube is shaken. This rapidly achieves full hydration of the sample which reduces its viscosity and improves handling. Once thinned, the sample can be centrifuged to eliminate bubbles. Alternative 2. Add to the sample an equal volume of: N-Acetyl L Cysteine 100mg/ml DI water or normal saline. Agitate vigorously and leave for a few minutes then centrifuge to eliminate bubbles. This is very effective for thinning the sample and is a first-stage in preparing a sputum sample for PCR.

RESULTS. Micrographs of the results can be seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/76898309@N08/albums/72157713091911953 The album of micrographs includes standard darkfield imaging of plain samples, giemsa stained and acridine orange stained samples. The latter includes matched pairs of filtered/unfiltered fields of view. The final set of compilation pictures demonstrate spirochaetes in varied forms, from cysts (curled into a ball inside a membrane) and partially open cysts, to fully formed spirochaetes.

For original unedited photos please contact me with the filename.

Peter Kemp. February 2020

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**Comment**

The species of borrelia has yet to be determined as well as viability.  Stay tuned.

Category:

Lyme, research

Study: CDC’s 2-tier Lyme Testing Inaccurate in More than 70% of Cases

https://www.lymedisease.org/study-cdcs-two-tier-lyme-testing-was-inaccurate-in-more-than-70-of-cases/

Study: CDC’s two-tier Lyme testing was inaccurate in more than 70% of cases

BALF Lyme Biobank

According to a new study, the CDC’s standard two-tier testing for Lyme disease failed to accurately diagnose more than 70% of blood samples from individuals with an erythema migrans rash greater than 5 centimeters across.

Additional findings showed that Lyme disease also occurred in individuals with no rash, and those with rashes smaller than 5 cm.

This is significant, because patients with symptoms of Lyme disease are often denied proper diagnosis and treatment based on the CDC’s two-tier testing protocol.

Furthermore, EM rashes less than 5 cm are often disregarded in reporting Lyme disease cases.

The study highlights the unreliability of current diagnostic testing for Lyme disease and underscores the need for more research. Samples for the study came from the Lyme Disease Biobank.

Press release from Bay Area Lyme Foundation:

Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the U.S., announces results published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology, that point to limitations of currently available diagnostic tests for early-stage Lyme disease, and highlight the need for more research toward improved diagnostics and treatments.

Among the findings, the Centers for Disease Control’s standard two-tier testing algorithm (STTTA) for Lyme disease failed to accurately diagnose 71% of blood samples from individuals presenting with a Lyme rash, also known as an erythema migrans, greater than 5 cm in endemic areas.

These samples are part of the Lyme Disease Biobank (LDB), which was founded to catalyze new research in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. Samples are available for research use through an application process to scientists who already work in tick-borne infections as well as those new to the field.

“For an epidemic like Lyme disease that is growing at such an alarming rate, there needs to be more research, greater understanding, better diagnostics, and improved treatments,” said Charles Chiu, MD, PhD, Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, and Bay Area Lyme Foundation scientific advisory board member, who is currently using samples from the Lyme Disease Biobank for his research.

No accurate test

“This study draws attention to the fact that we simply don’t have an accurate test for Lyme disease at present, and this is exactly why clinicians still need to rely on their knowledge of the signs and symptoms of early Lyme disease to diagnose patients and provide prompt treatment.”

These findings also reinforce that Lyme disease does occur in individuals who do not have a erythema migrans, and those with rashes smaller than 5 cm.

Samples that were laboratory confirmed for Lyme disease (N=82) were more likely to be enrolled with a Lyme rash (83%) and more likely to present with a Lyme rash greater than 5 cm (74%). However, 26% of laboratory confirmed Lyme disease did not present with a Lyme rash greater than 5 cm, including 9% enrolled as having a Lyme rash smaller than 5 cm and 17% enrolled without any skin manifestation.

Hard to get diagnosed without a rash

“Patients who do not exhibit a rash likely face the greatest challenges in being diagnosed – not only because many healthcare providers specifically look for this sign to diagnose patients, but because the lack of a rash correlated to less likelihood of an accurate serology test, according to this study,” added Dr. Chiu.

Currently comprised of samples from more than 800 participants, the Lyme Disease Biobank utilized 550 patient and control samples (298 cases and 252 controls) collected from 2014 through 2018 for this study.

Each sample was tested using both a first tier ELISA and second tier immunoblot (i.e., western blot), and the STTTA was applied. Assays were also performed to detect the presence of tick-borne pathogens (polymerase chain reaction (PCR)), and a subset of samples was evaluated by culture.

Of the 298 cases enrolled with signs and symptoms of Lyme disease, only 28% were identified as positive for Lyme disease through these methods, or a modified two-tier testing algorithm, consisting of two positive ELISAs in patients with Lyme rash (erythema migrans) greater than 5 cm. This collection highlights and reinforces the known limitations of STTTA testing in early Lyme disease.

Limitations of available tools

“This study highlights the limitations of available tools for all healthcare providers whose patients may be infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Our hope is that healthcare providers will consider these findings when evaluating patients with signs and symptoms of early Lyme disease,” said Liz Horn, PhD MBI, the study’s lead author and principal investigator for Lyme Disease Biobank.

“Our original goal was to characterize the samples we were making available to investigators working on new diagnostics for Lyme disease. We didn’t expect to find such large inaccuracies in current laboratory tests that support clinical decision-making.”

According to findings, participants presenting with a Lyme rash greater than 5 cm were more likely to be positive by any serologic test.

For samples taken while patients were experiencing signs and symptoms of early Lyme disease, a positive ELISA was found in 38-43% of patients with Lyme rashes larger than 5 cm, 17-35% of patients with rashes smaller than 5 cm, and 15-27% of patients without a rash, while 5-11% of controls also received a positive ELISA (ranges represent percent positive using different first-tier tests). For the second tier immunoblots, more cases were positive for IgM than IgG (as would be expected for early Lyme disease).

“We are thrilled to see the Lyme Disease Biobank helping to uncover the critical challenges facing patients and physicians as well as the urgent need for more accurate Lyme disease diagnostics,” said Alex Cohen, President and Co-founder of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, whose funding has been instrumental in the rapid expansion of the Lyme Disease Biobank over the past four years.

Currently, there are 50 research projects that rely on Lyme Disease Biobank samples.

About Lyme Disease Biobank

The Lyme Disease Biobank (LDB), a program of the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, is a non-profit organization working to accelerate research of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. With a collection of biological samples from more than 800 participants, including serum, blood, urine and tissue, LDB provides much-needed samples to researchers working to better understand tick-borne diseases and develop improved tests and therapeutics. Blood and urine samples are collected from the Northeast and Upper Midwest areas of the U.S., as well as the San Francisco area and, now, San Diego, and tissue samples are collected throughout the U.S.

Healthcare providers, and patients interested in donating blood, urine or tissue samples can learn more here.

Researchers interested in obtaining samples should visit www.lymebiobank.org or contact info@lymebiobank.org.

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**Comment**

This is even worse than previously thought.

Although, Dr. Sin Lee found testing missed nearly 86% of patients:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/16/2-tier-lyme-testing-missed-85-7-of-patients-milford-hospital/

I think we can safely say the tests suck.

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing