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Borrelia burgdorferi
Etiologic agent of Lyme disease.
Epidemiology:
4 stage life cycle generally completed in 2 years
1) egg
2) larva
3) nymph
4) adult
Pathology:
- a peptidoglycan in the cell envelope of Borrelia burgdorferi is released but not degraded when the bacterium dies [3]
- the peptidoglycan lingers in synovial fluid & elicits an ongoing immune response*
* systemic administration of the peptidoglycan ellicits acute arthritis in mice [3]
Laboratory:
- Borrelia burgdorferi serology
- Borrelia burgdorferi antigen
- Borrelia burgdorferi DNA
- Borrelia burgdorferi culture
- see ARUP consult [2]
Related
Lyme disease
General
Borrelia
Properties
KINGDOM: monera
DIVISION: SCHIZOMYCETES
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, American
College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998
- ARUP Consult: Borrelia burgdorferi - Lyme Disease
The Physician's Guide to Laboratory Test Selection & Interpretation
https://www.arupconsult.com/content/borrelia-species
- Jutras BL, Lochhead RB, Kloos ZA et al.
Borrelia burgdorferi peptidoglycan is a persistent antigen in
patients with Lyme arthritis.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019 Jul 2; 116:13498.
PMID: 31209025 Free PMC Article
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/27/13498