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Feeding of Ticks on Animals for Transmission and Xenodiagnosis in Lyme Disease Research
Published on: August 31, 2013
Borrelia burgdorferi aggrecanase activity: more evidence for persistent infection in Lyme disease
Raphael B Stricker1, Lorraine Johnson
1International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society Bethesda, MD, USA. rstricker@usmamed.com
Abstract:
Lyme disease is the most common tickborne illness in the world today. A recent study describes for the first time an enzyme produced by the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, that cleaves aggrecan, a proteoglycan found in joints and connective tissue. Discovery of the spirochetal aggrecanase raises many questions about the pathogenesis of Lyme arthritis and lends support to the concept of persistent B. burgdorferi infection in patients with chronic Lyme disease symptoms.
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