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No Warranties or Representations
The data and information presented in this web site are presented in good faith and believed to be accurate. Any and all liability for the content or any omissions including any inaccuracies, errors, or misstatements in such data or information is expressly disclaimed. The web site is compiled for the sole purpose of informing community members of resources and information pertaining to Lyme Borreliosis Disease and its coinfections.
The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, Directors and members are not liable for any direct or indirect damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tortious action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of information available from this website.
Consult a qualified Lyme ( Borreliosis ) Disease literate doctor for medical advice if Lyme Disease is suspect.
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Study finds changes in Lyme bacteria
Discovery expected to improve treatment
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
BY ANGELA STEWART
Star-Ledger Staff
New Jersey researchers have discovered unique genetic elements associated
with different strains of Lyme disease, which could aid vaccine development
and improve diagnosis, according to a study released today.
Led by scientists at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, the
study focused on the genetic makeup of the bacteria that causes Lyme,
including the proteins. The findings may help explain why some people get a
mild form of the disease while others experience major complications, such
as neurological problems, said Steven E. Schutzer, an immunologist at the
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School who served as principal investigator of the
study.
To the scientists' surprise, said Schutzer, they dicovered that the bacteria
that cause Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) do indeed mate and exchange
genetic material, a process that may lead to infection.
"Before this, scientists were unaware that the Lyme disease bacteria could
modify themselves so rapidly," he said. "The implication is that the
bacteria may produce a more disseminated infection in the patient that
results in infection involving multiple parts of the body."
The study appears in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences. It was funded by the Jackson-based Lyme Disease Association Inc.,
the National Institutes of Health and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Pat Smith, association president, said the study "opens up a whole new world
of possibilities" for Lyme patients in the areas of diagnosis and treatment.
"If scientists could figure out how they could possibly disrupt the ability
of the organism to exchange this genetic material, maybe the disease would
be a lot less virulent than it is," she said.
Lyme is a tick-borne illness that peaks in the spring and summer months. It
is sometimes characterized by a red bull's-eye rash surrounding the tick
bite. But diagnosis is a problem, since Lyme can mimic other diseases and
not everyone gets the classic rash.
To conduct their study, Schutzer and his team identified and studied strains
associated with Lyme disease in the United States. They then performed
sequencing to determine the genetic compositions of each Lyme strain.
"This study really lays out all the different proteins of Borrelia, and as a
result of that, we know we have a much larger group of substances to use for
both a vaccine and (as targets) in helping diagnose the disease," said
Benjamin J. Luft, chair of the Department of Medicine at the State
University of New York at Stony Brook and a senior author on the study.
New Jersey ranks third in the nation in Lyme cases, with 2,887 reported last
year to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the actual
number is believed to be much higher because many cases go unreported.
Angela Stewart writes about health care. She can be reached by e-mail at
astewart@starledger.com or at 973 392-4178
Copyright 2004 The Star-Ledger.
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