Searching for autoimmunity in "antibiotic-refractory" Lyme arthritis

Mol Immunol. 2008 Jun;45(11):3023-4. doi: 10.1016/j.molimm.2008.02.015. Epub 2008 Apr 18.

Abstract

In two recent articles published in Molecular Immunology, Steere and colleagues continue their search for an autoimmune mechanism of arthritis in patients who have failed short-course antibiotic therapy for Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease. As in previous attempts, the authors fail to elucidate a molecular mimicry mechanism for the putative autoimmune process, leading to the conclusion that there is no credible scientific evidence for a post-infectious autoimmune mechanism of arthritis in chronic Lyme disease.

Publication types

  • Comment
  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Autoimmunity / drug effects
  • Autoimmunity / immunology*
  • Borrelia burgdorferi / drug effects
  • Borrelia burgdorferi / immunology
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial* / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Lyme Disease / drug therapy*
  • Lyme Disease / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Molecular Mimicry / drug effects

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents