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Tick-borne Pathogens Bartonella spp., Borrelia Burgdorferi Sensu Lato, Coxiella Burnetii & Rickettsia Spp. May Trigger Endocarditis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31374162/

2019 Jul;28(7):957-963. doi: 10.17219/acem/94159.

Tick-borne pathogens Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp. may trigger endocarditis.

Chmielewski T¹, Kuśmierczyk M², Fiecek B¹, Roguska U¹, Lewandowska G¹, Parulski A², Cielecka-Kuszyk J³, Tylewska-Wierzbanowska S¹.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Infections caused by tick-borne pathogens such as Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Coxiella burnetii and Rickettsia spp. are capable of causing serious lesions of the mitral and aortic valves, leading to a need for valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES:

The aim of the study was to determine whether such cases are sporadic or frequent. An additional goal was to establish effective diagnostic methods to detect these infections.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

The study involved 148 patients undergoing valve replacement. Blood samples were drawn for serological testing. Samples of the removed mitral and aortic valves were tested with PCR and immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS:

Specific antibodies to

Bartonella spp. were detected in 47 patients (31.7%) and in 1 of the healthy controls (1%) (p < 0.05)
B. burgdorferi spirochetes were found in 18 of the patients (12.2%) and in 6 blood donors from the control group (5.8%) (p < 0.1)
Rickettsia spp. were detected in 12 (8.1%)
C. burnetii phase I and II antigens in the serum of 1 patient. All the participants in the control group were seronegative to C. burnetii and Rickettsia spp. antigens.
PCR tests for detection of Bartonella spp., B. burgdorferi s.l., C. burnetii and Rickettsia spp. DNA in the valve samples were all negative.

Inflammation foci with mononuclear lymphoid cells in the aortic and mitral valves were seen in sections stained with hematoxiline and eozine. In sections dyed using the indirect immunofluorescence method with hyperimmune sera, Bartonella spp. and Rickettsia spp. were found.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results obtained indicate that laboratory diagnostics for patients with heart disorders should be expanded to include tests detecting tick-borne zoonoses such as bartonelloses, Lyme borreliosis, rickettsioses and Q fever.

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**Comment**

This article shows that tick borne pathogens are common with patients needing heart valve replacements. Unfortunately, testing still isn’t accurate. Finding antibodies, authorities would argue, doesn’t mean a person has symptoms; however, this issue desperately needs further research as finding antibodies does indicate the presence of pathogens.

A point to be made about the low percentage of those testing positive for Lyme might be due to the fact they only tested one strain: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. There are 300 strains worldwide and 100 in the U.S. (and counting).

Bartonella is similar in the fact that a recent article pointed out that a 14-year-old boy with PANS caused by Bartonella henselae infection was NOT seropositive. Only one of the three blood samples tested positive before culturing and only two tested positive after culturing. A single blood draw might have missed confirming a diagnosis of bartonellosis.

How many doctors are going to hunt these infections to ground? How many have the time and doggedness it requires to find them? It’s far more likely they will take the results from a singular test, close the book, and move onto the next patient.

We desperately need accurate tests that pick up ALL the pathogens.

Category:

Bartonella, Heart Issues, Inflammation, Lyme, research, Rickettsia

Multimodal Imaging of Two Unconventional Cases of Bartonella Neuroretinitis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31348120

2019 Jul 16. doi: 10.1097/ICB.0000000000000893. [Epub ahead of print]

MULTIMODAL IMAGING OF TWO UNCONVENTIONAL CASES OF BARTONELLA NEURORETINITIS.

Michel Z¹, Redd T¹, Bhavsar KV^1,².

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To report two cases of cat-scratch fever with atypical posterior segment manifestations.

METHODS:

Two cases were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS:

A 27-year-old woman presented with painless blurring of central vision in her left eye. Clinical examination revealed a small focal area of retinitis within the macula associated with a subtle macular star. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography showed a hyper-reflective inner retinal lesion in addition to subretinal and intraretinal fluid as well as hyperreflective foci within the outer plexiform layer. Serology was positive for anti-B. henselae IgM (titer 1:32).
A 34-year-old woman presented with painless loss of vision in both eyes associated with headaches and pain with extraocular movement. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography depicted subretinal fluid, intraretinal fluid, and hyperreflective deposits within the outer plexiform layer. A focal collection of vitreous cell was observed overlying the optic nerve in the left eye. Bilateral disk leakage was identified on fluorescein angiography. Serology revealed high-titer anti-B. henselae antibodies (IgM titers 1:32, IgG titers 1:256).

CONCLUSION:

Our cases highlight the necessity of recognizing more unusual posterior segment presentations of ocular bartonellosis. Multimodal retinal imaging including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography may help better characterize lesions.

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For more: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/07/28/treatment-strategies-for-neuroretinitis-due-to-bartonella-current-options-emerging-therapies/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/10/bartonella-henselae-neuroretinitis-in-patients-without-cat-scratch/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/21/bartonella-and-neuroretinitis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/10/bartonella-neuroretinitis-not-atypical/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/08/case-series-bartonella-ocular-manifestations/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/27/advanced-imaging-found-bartonella-around-pic-line/ Bartonella, like Lyme, can be persistent causing chronic infection.

Category:

Bartonella, Eye Issues, research

EM: Course & Outcome in Patients Treated With Rituximab

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6634433/

. 2019 Jul; 6(7): ofz292.

Published online 2019 Jun 19. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofz292

PMCID: PMC6634433

PMID: 31334301

Erythema Migrans: Course and Outcome in Patients Treated With Rituximab

Vera Maraspin,¹ Petra Bogovič,¹ Tereza Rojko,¹ Eva Ružić-Sabljić,² and Franc Strle¹

Abstract

Background

Information on Lyme borreliosis (LB) in patients treated with rituximab is limited to individual case reports.

Methods

We reviewed data on adult patients diagnosed with typical erythema migrans (EM) at the LB outpatient clinic of the University Medical Center Ljubljana, Slovenia, in the 10-year period 2008–2017. For all patients, clinical and laboratory information was acquired prospectively using a standardized questionnaire.

Results

Among 4230 adult patients with a diagnosis of EM, 7 patients (0.17%), 5 women and 2 men with a median age of 65 years (range, 55–66 years), were receiving rituximab for an underlying medical condition. In these 7 patients, signs of disseminated LB (43%) and the isolation rates of borreliae from blood before antibiotic treatment (40%) were unusually high compared with corresponding findings in immunocompetent patients who had EM diagnosed at the same institution (8% vs <2%, respectively). The rates of LB-associated constitutional symptoms and borrelial antibodies in serum were lower than expected (14% and 29%, respectively, in patients receiving rituximab vs 25% and 65% in immunocompetent patients). One of the 7 patients (14%) experienced treatment failure; nevertheless, the outcome of early LB 1 year after antibiotic treatment, as used for immunocompetent patients with EM, was excellent in all 7 patients.

Conclusions

Findings in 7 patients with EM who were receiving rituximab for underlying disease suggest that although early LB in these patients is more often disseminated than in immunocompetent patients, the outcome 1 year after antibiotic treatment, as used for immunocompetent patients, is excellent.

_________________

**Comment**

There should be followed up done on these patients. A one year outcome, if you understand Lyme disease at all, is a short period of time.

Rituximab, a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells, is used alone or in combination with other medicines to treat the following conditions in adults:

non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia
rheumatoid arthritis
disorders that cause inflammation of blood vessels and other tissues
a severe autoimmune reaction that causes blisters and breakdown of the skin and mucous membranes

Rituximab may cause a serious brain infection that can lead to disability or death, as well as severe skin problems. You are supposed to tell your doctor if you have any of the following before using the drug:

liver disease or hepatitis (or if you are a carrier of hepatitis B)
kidney disease
lung disease or a breathing disorder
a weak immune system (caused by disease or by using certain medicines)
an active infection, including herpes, shingles, cytomegalovirus, chickenpox, parvovirus, West Nile virus, or hepatitis B or C
heart disease, angina (chest pain), or heart rhythm disorder
if you have used rituximab in the past
pregnancy – it can harm the unborn baby

According to this, Rituximab suppresses the immune system: https://medivizor.com/blog/SampleLibrary/rheumatoid-arthritis/the-effect-of-rituximab-treatment-on-the-immune-system/

Biological drugs are becoming more popular as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rituximab is one such drug that works by blocking the activity of immune cells. This then reduces the high level of inflammation seen in the joints of RA patients. Longer courses of treatment are needed for rituximab to be completely effective.

This prolonged treatment can weaken a patient’s immune response and can lead to a condition called hypogammaglobulinemia. This is an immune disorder where the body’s antibody levels are severely reduced, which increases the risk of serious infections.

LLMD’s typically do not recommend immune suppressants for Lyme/MSIDS patients unless they are on antibiotics in tandem. This research study shows why – those in Rituximab had more disseminated Lyme and more borrelia isolated from the blood. By suppressing the immune system the infection has a greater ability to take over. The fact they had fewer constitutional symptoms and borrelia antibodies in serum means little. Given time, this could change in a heart-beat. I suspect there were more treatment failures if they followed up on these patients up over years of time.

Patients in the study with solitary EM were prescribed oral antibiotics:

doxycycline (100 mg twice daily for 14 days)
cefuroxime axetil (500 mg twice daily for 15 days)
azithromycin (500 mg twice daily on the first day followed by 500 mg once daily for 4 subsequent days)
patients with multiple EM were treated with ceftriaxone (2 g once daily intravenously for 14 days)

For this study, treatment failure was defined as

the occurrence of objective extracutaneous manifestations of LB within 1 year after the start of antibiotic treatment
the appearance/persistence of subjective symptoms or their increased intensity (at the 1-year follow-up visit) that could not be attributed to other causes
persistence of a skin lesion (ie, still visible EM) at a follow-up visit 2–3 months after commencement of treatment
demonstration of borreliae by skin culture at the site of previous EM 2–3 months after the start of treatment (only patients with isolation of borreliae from skin before antibiotic treatment underwent repeated biopsy)

Patients with treatment failure were treated again with an alternative antibiotic.

By looking at the drugs listed, we can see right away that doxy has been shown to throw the spirochete into the non-cell wall form to reemerge later: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/30/the-functional-molecular-effects-of-doxycycline-treatment-on-borrelia-burgdorferi-phenotype/

The emphasis on external lesions is a mistake. Research has shown that antibiotics clear the EM but won’t clear a systemic infection: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/03/24/one-pill-of-doxy-only-reduces-prevalence-of-rash-not-lyme-disease/

And something must be said about antibiotic levels as well. In this timely video, Dr. Burrascano explains how some patients need higher drug levels to kill pathogens: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/12/28/the-history-of-lyme-disease-dr-burrascano/

A one sized approach for Lyme/MSIDS is another mistake.

Sadly, the authors conclude that after one year everyone’s dandy, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Category:

Lyme, research, Treatment

Tick Expert Admits to ‘Working on Ticks’ & Dropping Them Out of Airplanes

The following full-length interview with James H. Oliver, Jr. is an eye opener on the type of work that’s been done on ticks and mosquitoes.

He’s described by Pamela Weintraub in the book, Cure Unknown, as a “world-class entomologist” for figuring out that the southern U.S. had Lyme Disease by finding 300 southern genetic strains of Borrelia, 57 of which are nearly identical to the northern pathogen and are classified as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. He also discovered two new species, Borrelia americana and Borrelia carolinensis that could potentially help explain why many in the South suffer with Lyme yet are not testing positive on current tests.

Oliver was responsible for producing ticks and mosquitos, running distribution tests, and determining factors that would cause migration for the Army.

Oliver also worked in Australia where he found ticks on snakes there.

The Navy used Oliver in Uganda, where he stayed at the Rockefeller Institute, as their acarologist where he collected ticks.

For full interview: https://academic.oup.com/ae/article/62/4/206/2712469

James H. Oliver, Jr.: Ticks, Lyme Disease, and a Golden Gloves Champion

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Parasites, research, Rickettsia, Ticks, Transmission

Pharmaceutical Fraud & The Hidden Side of Clinical Trials

Approx. 17 Min

Gut Resolution

Published on Jul 12, 2019

A case study in corporate malfeasance. References available at: tinyurl.com/y3mrknxq

The story I’m going to tell today begins just before the turn of the century. The year is 1999 and Merck has brought a new pain killer onto the market called Vioxx. According to a paper published in the British Medical Journal, since the early development of Vioxx some scientists at Merck were concerned that the drug might adversely affect the cardiovascular system. Despite Merck’s knowledge that Vioxx might increase blot clot formation, none of the intervention studies it did for the FDA in 1998 were designed to evaluate cardiovascular risk. So let’s think about this for a minute. Merck’s own scientists, while developing this new drug, say this could be bad for the heart, it could be bad for the cardiovascular system. So Merck made the decision to NOT evaluate the cardiovascular risk of that drug in its new drug application to the FDA. And let’s see how that turned out.

Approx. 13 Min.

TEDx Talks

Published on Sep 28, 2016

Around half of the clinical trials done on medicines we use today are not published. A tragic truth that needs to be changed, to help doctors do their job properly and to not betray the trust of all those who have volunteered to be part of those trials. Find out more about the AllTrials campaign ad references for claims made in the talk at www.AllTrials.net. In particular, read more about the claim that around half of all clinical trials on the medicines we use today have not published results here http://www.alltrials.net/wp-content/u…. Audiovisual producer: Daniel Goldmann. Editing: Xavi Fortino. Film team: Elena Salcedo, Josep Fernández, Daniel Davidson, Nicolás Mazzini, Nacho Valentín, David Ramos, Ignacio Fuentes and Fran Rubio. Síle Lane is director of campaigns and policy at Sense about Science, a charity concerned with the use and abuse of scientific evidence in public life. Síle helps run the global AllTrials campaign for clinical trial transparency which is supported by thousands of people and organizations worldwide.

For more: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/12/05/bought-documentary-on-pharma-vaccines-gmos/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/18/fda-medical-adviser-congress-is-owned-by-pharma/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/13/blast-from-the-past-cdc-vaccine-authors-destroy-evidence-of-vaccine-harm/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/08/vaccination-cabal-revealed/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/24/financial-kickbacks-for-vaccinations-abusive-illegal-fraudulent/ “This brings us to the financial incentives to pediatricians offered by insurance companies for vaccinating our children. The Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance document explaining these financial incentives can be found here: https://jeffreydachmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Pediatricians-Receive-Financial-Incentives-Kickbacks-to-Vaccinate-Children-BCBS-2016-Booklet.pdf Pediatricians are raking in 40-80 thousand dollars a year from these kickback schemes.”

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/05/drug-companies-pay-fda-nih-to-fast-track-market-vaccines/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/19/fda-official-uses-revolving-door-to-join-biotech-company-developing-mrna-vaccines/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/08/vaccine-safety-efficacy-studies-that-are-the-bases-for-marketing-authorizations-are-a-complete-methodological-mess/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/01/28/sit-down-science/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/01/02/fake-science/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/07/17/why-most-health-commissioners-end-up-in-bed-with-big-pharma/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/11/29/spider-attacks-cdc/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/16/washington-post-congress-engineered-dea-racket-to-protect-opioid-drug-giants/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/25/speaking-of-fake-science-fifty-seven-million-anti-trust-lawsuit-against-cdc-lyme-tests/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/06/cdcs-troubling-lack-of-research-ethics/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/16/the-cdc-is-a-captured-agency/

Category: