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Lyme Disease

Correlation between COVID-19 severity and previous exposure of patients to Borrelia spp.

Szewczyk-Dąbrowska, A., Budziar, W., Harhala, M. et al. Correlation between COVID-19 severity and previous exposure of patients to Borrelia spp.. Sci Rep 12, 15944 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20202-x

Also, read Medical News Today article.

  • In this study, all hospitalized COVID-19 patients tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi-specific IgG, with significantly higher levels in severe cases.
  • Patients with a history of Borrelia exposure showed increased susceptibility to severe COVID-19 upon SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • Severe COVID-19 patients also exhibited higher levels of IgGs specific to Anaplasma antigens, suggesting a potential link between increased COVID-19 risks and tick bites and related infections.
  • Testing for Borrelia-specific IgM revealed higher positivity in hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to mild/asymptomatic patients and those not infected with SARS-CoV-2. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the odds of COVID-19 hospitalization increased with each positive read for a Lyme disease-related antigen for IgG antibodies.
  • Multivariate analysis highlighted specific Borrelia antigens associated with increased odds of hospitalization for both IgG and IgM antibodies. These findings suggest a potential connection between Borrelia exposure and the severity of COVID-19 outcomes.
Neuropathogenicity of non-viable Borrelia burgdorferi ex vivo
Parthasarathy G, Gadila SKG. Neuropathogenicity of non-viable Borrelia burgdorferi ex vivo. Sci Rep. 2022 Jan 13;12(1):688. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-03837-0. PMID: 35027599; PMCID: PMC8758786.
“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.
Lyme Borreliosis and Associations With Mental Disorders and Suicidal Behavior: A Nationwide Danish Cohort Study

Lyme Borreliosis and Associations With Mental Disorders and Suicidal Behavior: A Nationwide Danish Cohort Study. Brian A. Fallon, M.D., M.P.H., Trine Madsen, Ph.D., Annette Erlangsen, Ph.D., Michael E. Benros, M.D., Ph.D. Published Online:28 Jul 2021 https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.20091347

“Having more than one episode of Lyme borreliosis was associated with increased incidence rate ratios for mental disorders, affective disorders, and suicide attempts, but not for death by suicide. Individuals diagnosed with Lyme borreliosis in the hospital setting had an increased risk of mental disorders, affective disorders, suicide attempts, and suicide. Although the absolute population risk is low, clinicians should be aware of potential psychiatric sequelae of this global disease.”

Lyme Borreliosis and Associations With Mental Disorders and Suicidal Behavior: A Nationwide Danish Cohort Study
Fallon BA, Madsen T, Erlangsen A, Benros ME. Lyme Borreliosis and Associations With Mental Disorders and Suicidal Behavior: A Nationwide Danish Cohort Study. Am J Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 1;178(10):921-931. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.20091347. Epub 2021 Jul 28. PMID: 34315282.
  • Results showed that individuals with Lyme borreliosis had higher rates of mental disorders, affective disorders, suicide attempts, and death by suicide compared to those without Lyme borreliosis.
  • The 6-month interval after diagnosis had the highest rate of any mental disorder, and the first 3 years after diagnosis had the highest rate of suicide.
  • Multiple episodes of Lyme borreliosis were associated with increased incidence rate ratios for mental disorders, affective disorders, and suicide attempts.
  • Clinicians should be mindful of the potential psychiatric consequences of Lyme borreliosis, despite the low absolute population risk.