Patients experiencing natural infection with Borrelia burgdorferi display a spectrum of associated symptoms and severity, strongly implicating the impact of genetically determined host factors in the pathogenesis of Lyme disease. Herein, we provide a summary of the host genetic factors that have been demonstrated to influence the severity and chronicity of Lyme arthritis symptoms, and a review of the resources available, current progress, and added value of a forward genetic approach for identification of novel genetic regulators.
Keywords: Lyme arthritis; Lyme disease; beta-Glucuronidase; forward genetics; genome-wide association studies; inflammation; innate immunity and responses; pathogenesis.