Summary
The persistence ofBorrelia burgdorferi in patients treated with antibiotics is described. The diagnosis of Lyme disease is based on clinical symptoms, epidemiology and specific IgG and IgM antibody titers toB. burgdorferi in serum. Antibiotic therapy may abrogate the antibody response to the infection as shown in our patients.B. burgdorferi may persist as shown by positive culture in MKP-medium; patients may have subclinical or clinical disease without diagnostic antibody titers toB. burgdorferi. We conclude that early stage of the disease as well as chronic Lyme disease with persistence ofB. burgdorferi after antibiotic therapy cannot be excluded when the serum is negative for antibodies againstB. burgdorferi.
Zusammenfassung
Es wird über die Persistenz vonBorrelia burgdorferi bei sechs Patienten berichtet. Nach dem Zecken- bzw. Insektenstich und Erythema migrans konnteB. burgdorferi noch Wochen nach der Antibiotikatherapie nachgewiesen werden. Serologische Befunde waren außer bei einem Patienten negativ. Diese Ergebnisse bestätigen unsere früheren Beobachtungen und sprechen dafür, dß die Antibiotikabehandlung die Antikörperbildung gegenB. burgdorferi beeinflussen kann. Ferner zeigen diese Ergebnisse und Beobachtungen, daß nicht nur im Frühstadium der Lyme Borreliose, sondern auch in chronischen Stadien bzw. bei Persistenz des Erregers der Nachweis von Antikörpern negativ bleiben kann.
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Preac-Mursic, V., Wilske, B., Gross, B. et al. Survival of Borrelia burgdorferi in antibiotically treated patients with lyme borreliosis. Infection 17, 355–359 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01645543
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01645543