Archive for the ‘research’ Category

Non-specific Symptoms in Adult Patients Referred to a Lyme Centre

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30287411/

Non-specific symptoms in adult patients referred to a Lyme centre.

Zomer TP, et al. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2018.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: There is controversy whether non-specific symptoms can be related to previous Lyme borreliosis (LB). Positive serology can be considered a proxy for a previous or persistent infection with LB. We assessed non-specific symptoms and serology in patients suspected of LB referred to a Lyme centre.

METHODS: Included were adult patients who visited a Lyme centre between 2008 and 2014. Before medical consultation, serum samples were taken and questionnaires on non-specific symptoms completed. The prevalence of non-specific symptoms was calculated for patients with positive and negative IgG serology. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for an association between positive serology and non-specific symptoms.

RESULTS: Of 1439 included patients, 31.6% (455/1439) had positive serology. The most common non-specific symptoms were severe fatigue (61.4%, 883/1439), sleep disturbances (54.8%, 789/1439), and stiffness of neck/back (52.6%, 757/1439). The prevalence of severe fatigue was 53.0% (241/455) in patients with positive serology versus 65.2% (642/984) in patients with negative serology (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.58-0.94). The prevalence of sleep disturbances was respectively 46.2% (210/455) versus 58.8% (579/984) (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.58-0.93). The prevalence of stiffness of neck/back was respectively 47.7% (217/455) versus 54.9% (540/984) (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.67-1.06).

CONCLUSIONS: In patients referred to a Lyme centre, non-specific symptoms did not occur more frequently in patients with positive serology compared to patients with negative serology. Hence, a questionnaire on non-specific symptoms cannot be used for identifying patients with possible “post-Lyme borreliosis symptoms” in clinical practice.

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**Comment**

I find it increasingly baffling how “positive serology” on a test that misses over half of all Lyme cases and is commonly known as being notoriously abysmal is still being used for research purposes.  Move on people!  This test is worthless!  

I feel sorry for the sad-suckers who didn’t get a positive.  They were sent home empty-handed to continue suffering in silence.  Notice that MORE of the people testing negative had a considerably higher preponderance of symptoms…..

The sickest patients sometimes NEVER test positive.  

Also, notice the symptoms….severe fatigue, sleep disturbances, and stiff back/neck.  Those are notorious Lyme symptoms!  In fact it screams Lyme (particularly the back/neck issue).  

How about they treat these people clinically for Lyme and then retest?  By giving a provoking agent, it would be interesting to see how many of these sero-negatives turn into positives.

I guess someone would have to use their God-given brain to do that….and we wouldn’t want to have to do that now would we?

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Sleep, Testing

Lyme As Seen Through the Eyes of a Microbiologist – FREE Talk

Lyme Disease As Seen Through the Eyes of a Microbiologist

Presenter:  Thomas M. Grier MS

Nov. 13th

823 East 2nd St So., Pillager, MN

(Use South Door G)

Pillager MN. Sponsored by the Lion’s Club

The bacterium that causes Lyme disease is capable of penetrating blood vessels easily. Evidence now supports early brain invasion and immune system evasion. Learn what Lyme disease is, how to prevent it, and the controversies surrounding this and other Tick-Borne-Infections. Contact Sherry-218-821-5558

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Prevention, research

ESU Receives Money for Tick Research Lab

https://wnep.com/2018/10/23/esu-receives-money-for-tick-research-lab/ (News Video here)

ESU Receives Money for Tick Research Lab

October 23, 2018, by

SMITHFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Scientists at East Stroudsburg University’s Northeast Wildlife DNA Lab test ticks year round.

But thanks to state taxpayer money, they will now further their research and surveillance by starting a State Tick Research Lab.

“We were able to secure a half million dollars from the state to start funding our free tick testing service here at the DNA lab,” said Nicole Chinnici, Northeast Wildlife DNA Lab Director.

Nicole Chinnici is the director at the lab. She says this grant money will help pay for tick testing supplies.

“The free testing will cover three bacterial diseases, which includes Lyme disease, and depending on what kinds of ticks you have it will cover others as well as the Powassan virus,” said Chinnici.

Not only will this money allow for free tick testing, but it also allowed for the hiring of two new technicians which will help when thousands of ticks reach this laboratory.

The money will also help support the development of a data website that will provide infection rates, as well as identify areas across the state where ticks are most common.

“We are really at the forefront for forensics, animal forensics, and so to have this money to help us continue to advance tick testing and diagnoses of Lyme disease is really phenomenal,” said President Marcia Welsh, East Stroudsburg University.

If you ever find a tick, you can send it to the lab at East Stroudsburg University to have it identified and tested.  You’re asked to wrap it in a plastic sandwich bag.

For the address to the lab, click here.

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**Comment**

This FREE tick testing is ONLY for residents in Pennsylvania.  Hopefully, more of this type of thing will spread to other states.  They do tick testing for a fee, however.

If interested go here:

http://quantum.esu.edu/dna/testing/

http://quantum.esu.edu/dna/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Tick-submission-form_2013-current.pdf

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research, Ticks

Dementia Misdiagnosed for PTLDS or Vice Versa? A Case Report

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30282363/

Frontotemporal Dementia Misdiagnosed for Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome or vice versa? A Treviso Dementia (TREDEM) Registry Case Report.

Di Battista ME, et al. J Alzheimers Dis. 2018.

Abstract

We describe the case of a 61-year-old woman diagnosed with Borreliosis at the age of 57. Subsequently, the patient developed depression, anxiety, and behavioral disturbances. A lumbar puncture excluded the condition of Neuroborreliosis. The diagnostic workup included: an MRI scan, a 18F-FDG PET, a 123I-ioflupane-SPECT, an amyloid-β PET, a specific genetic analysis, and a neuropsychological evaluation.

Based on our investigation, the patient was diagnosed with probable behavioral-frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), whereas in the previous years, the patient had been considered firstly as a case of Post-Treatment-Lyme Disease and, secondly, a psychiatric patient.

We believe that, in the present case, such initial symptoms of Borrelia infection may have superimposed on those of bvFTD rather than playing as a contributory cause.

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**Comment**

Here we have a woman with an actual Lyme diagnosis who goes on to develop depression, anxiety, and behavioral disturbances.  (All common symptoms with neuro-Lyme:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/10/18/psychiatric-lymemsids/, https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/25/neuropsychiatric-lyme-borreliosis-an-overview-with-a-focus-on-a-specialty-psychiatrists-clinical-practice/, https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/04/ld-diagnosis-took-forever-because-of-mental-health-stigma/)

Despite mainstream knowledge of absolute proof of abysmal testing, they state they ruled out infection despite a prior diagnosis based on a lumbar puncture.

In this informative read from Columbia University, we learn that there are specific steps to be followed for lumbar punctures regarding Lyme as well as the fact that patients may have neurologic Lyme Disease but still test negative on the Lyme index (an index used with cerebrospinal fluid in a lumbar puncture)  https://www.columbia-lyme.org/diagnosis.

So this woman was handed a label and told, “Go home and be well.”

This scenario has played out so many times it’s like a skip in a record.

How about a clinical trial of antimicrobials known to have action against borrelia and then retest her (called a provocation test)?  Clinicians in the field understand how elusive this organism is.  A full work-up needs to be done on symptomology as it could possibly be a different pathogen altogether known to be transmitted by ticks and other bugs.  How about also testing for other tick borne pathogens known to give behavioral symptoms like Bartonella?  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/01/one-tick-bite-could-put-you-at-risk-for-at-least-6-different-diseases/ (It could be one of 18 and counting pathogens spread by ticks)

You see, something is causing this “probable behavioral-frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD).”  

All they’ve done here is slap a name to it but they haven’t found the cause.  Without the cause they will not treat appropriately.  

Somebody get this woman to Columbia University!

How many more are going to slip through the cracks and loose their minds due to poor testing?

For more on the abysmal testing:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/15/reliability-of-lyme-testing/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/08/whats-the-best-test-for-lyme-dr-rawls/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/16/2-tier-lyme-testing-missed-85-7-of-patients-milford-hospital/

More on the relationship between Alzheimer’s, Dementia, ALS and Lyme:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/06/09/alzheimers-byproduct-of-infection/  Kris Kristofferson was wrongly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s but had Lyme Disease. For years doctors told Kristofferson it was either Alzheimer’s or dementia, and may have been the result of blows to his head from boxing, football and rugby. The medication he was given gave him bad side effects and didn’t help.  Since starting treatment for Lyme Kristofferson “has made remarkable strides.” His wife Lisa said,

“all of the sudden he was back.” Although he still has some bad days, there are other days when he is “perfectly normal,” she said.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/06/10/the-coming-pandemic-of-lyme-dementia/  Bacteria are usually ignored despite its historical and current significance in dementia research.  Today, the main bacterial threat to acquiring dementia comes from Lyme disease—a bacterium borrelia burgdorferi.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/06/03/borrelia-hiding-in-worms-causing-chronic-brain-diseases/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/08/09/dr-paul-duray-research-fellowship-foundation-some-great-research-being-done-on-lyme-disease/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/03/chronology-of-research-on-lyme-disease-dementia-alzheimers-parkinsons-autism/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/25/a-brief-history-of-neuroborreliosis-research-dementia-an-inside-look-at-two-researchers/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/21/connection-between-als-lyme/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/14/lost-link-als-lyme/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/11/its-time-to-find-the-alzheimers-germ/

 

Category:

Alzheimer's, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research, Testing

Another Useless Study Showing Lyme Testing is Abysmal

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30257905/

Limitations and Confusing Aspects of Diagnostic Testing for Neurologic Lyme Disease in the United States.

Theel ES, et al. J Clin Microbiol. 2018.

Abstract

In the United States, laboratories frequently offer multiple different assays for testing of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples to provide laboratory support for the diagnosis of central nervous system Lyme disease (CNSLD). Often included among these diagnostic tests are the same enzyme immunoassays and immunoblots that are routinely used to detect the presence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi in serum. However, performing these assays on CSF alone may yield positive results simply from passive diffusion of serum antibodies into the CSF. In addition, such tests are only United States Food and Drug Administration-cleared and well-validated for testing serum, not CSF. When performed using CSF, positive results from these assays do not establish the presence of intrathecal antibody production to B. burgdorferi and therefore should not be offered. The preferred test to detect intrathecal production of antibodies to B. burgdorferi is the antibody index assay, which corrects for passive diffusion of serum antibodies into CSF and requires testing of paired serum and CSF collected at approximately the same time. However, this assay also has limitations and should only be used to establish a diagnosis of CNSLD in conjunction with patient exposure history, clinical presentation and other laboratory findings.

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**Comment**

ALL testing for tick-borne infections is abysmal.  Diagnosis should still be clinical, which is why medical practitioners MUST become educated on this beast.

Also, the past is riddled with thousands who have not made the “antibody” cut and have been essentially left to die.  Trust me when I say there are far more false negatives than positives!

For instance, read about the story of Vicki Logan:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/03/09/remember-vicki-logan/

Please read the entire article as zinger after zinger is exposed as to the corruption involved, but Liegner requested an autopsy on Vicki and the pathologist not only refused, he refused to even let an outside pathologist use the facilities to perform it.

The reason? Wait for it…..

……danger of infection to himself and his staff.

I thought Lyme disease was benign and similar to the common cold – easily cured with 21 days of doxy?

By now you know that Liegner wasn’t about to let the ball drop and found a way to get Vicki to the Chief of Neuropathology at Columbia Presbyterian where her autopsy results are now available to all. Without this critical step, propelled by Liegner, the pathologist at Hudson Valley Hospital would have successfully prevented medical knowledge of chronic and neurologic Lyme disease as well as the cause of her hypotension, a missed diagnosis of myocardial infarction.

Then there’s this little gem proving seronegativity with active infection occurs:

Seronegative Chronic Relapsing Neuroborreliosis. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7796837

Lawrence C.a · Lipton R.B.b · Lowy F.D.c · Coyle P.K.d

aDepartment of Medicine, bDepartment of Neurology, and cDivision of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and dDepartment of Neurology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York, NY., USA
Eur Neurol 1995; 35:113–117 (DOI:10.1159/000117104)

Abstract

We report an unusual patient with evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi infection who experienced repeated neurologic relapses despite aggressive antibiotic therapy. Each course of therapy was associated with a Jarisch-Herxheimer-like reaction. Although the patient never had detectable free antibodies to B. burgdorferi in serum or spinal fluid, the CSF was positive on multiple occasions for complexed anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies, B. burgdorferi nucleic acids and free antigen.

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Testing