Neuropathogenicity of non-viable Borrelia burgdorferi ex vivo

“As neuroinflammation is the basis of many neurological disorders, lingering inflammation in the brain due to these unresolved fragments could cause long term health consequences,” Parthasarathy said.

• Some patients with Lyme disease continue to experience symptoms even after treatment, a condition known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS).
• Brain scans show that PTLDS likely have glial activation which indicates persistent neuroinflammatory processes.
• They discovered that these remnants triggered high levels of inflammation, sometimes even more than live bacteria, particularly for certain inflammatory markers like IL-6, CXCL8, and CCL2. The response was stronger in brain tissue compared to nerve tissue.