Biodiversity of Borrelia burgdorferi Strains in Lyme Disease Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Brisson Dustin, Baxamusa Nilofer, Schwartz Ira, Wormser Gary P.
Primary Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Hypothesis
The diversity of strains causing cutaneous infection exceeds that of strains causing arthritis, and that the diversity of strains causing arthritis exceeds that which cause neurologic Lyme disease.
Conclusion
The biodiversity of Borrelia burgdorferi strains is significantly greater in ticks than in the skin of patients with erythema migrans, and skin isolates are more diverse than those found in blood, synovial fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid.
Supporting Evidence
- The biodiversity of B. burgdorferi strains is significantly greater in tick populations than in human samples.
- Skin isolates are significantly more diverse than any of the disseminated sites.
- Cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurologic Lyme disease harbored the least pathogen biodiversity.
Takeaway
This study found that there are more types of Lyme disease bacteria in ticks than in the skin of people with Lyme disease, and even fewer types in their blood and spinal fluid.
Methodology
The study compared the strain biodiversity of Borrelia burgdorferi found in ticks and various human tissue samples using ecological biodiversity methods.
Potential Biases
The lower diversity in skin may be due to a selection bias introduced by in vitro culture.
Limitations
The study's findings may not apply to more distant geographic areas where genotypic variation may occur.
Participant Demographics
Patients with erythema migrans and neurologic Lyme disease from New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and California.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% confidence intervals were much greater for CSF than other tissue sites due to limited sample size.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website