http://www.ra-infection-connection.com/free_articles/Lyme.htm
Ó 2005 Karl Poehlmann and Katherine Poehlmann,
Ph.D.
Lyme Disease is one of the least
understood and misdiagnosed conditions prevalent today. Although formally
recognized in the late 1980s, it is an ancient disease. Lyme Disease (LD) and
other tick-borne illnesses like Rickettsial Disease (e.g., Rocky Mountain
Spotted Fever), Babesiosis, and Ehrlichiosis exhibit a full range of
arthritis-like symptoms. LD has achieved epidemic status in some areas of the
United States and continues to spread, with some 15,000 new cases reported
annually. The actual number of cases may be much higher. (A full discussion of
LD and infections other than mycoplasma appears in Chapter 5 of Rheumatoid
Arthritis: The Infection Connection).
A comprehensive set of web
links to important papers on Lyme/Borrelliosis, related co-infections, testing,
diagnosis and treatment is found at www.lymeinfo.net/lymediseasetreatment.html. For a free Lyme newsletter
and more information, see: http://www.lymeinfo.net Borrelia can shift from the spirochete form
into a cell-wall-deficient (CWD) spheroblast (cyst) L-form. Its intracellular
forms infect human endothelial cells
and they also infect immune system Macrophages, i.e., lymphocytes, corrupting
their intracellular molecular recipes, disabling parts/modes of the immune
system and enhancing the virulence of other co-infections.
The
Role of Cell Wall Deficient Microorganisms
Co-infections are common.
According to Dr. Garth Nicolson, who heads the Institute for Molecular Medicine
(at www.immed.org), 60% of LD patients, 70% of
those with Erlichiosis, and about 25% of those with Babesiosis also test
positive for mycoplasma. Another co-infection may be Bartonella or “cat scratch
disease”.
Mycoplasmas are cell wall
deficient (CWD) microorganisms that are among the smallest of the bacteria, but
larger than viruses and have intermediate genetic complexities. They lack some of the ability to replicate
in the absence of a living host. This is because they need the host to make
some essential molecules they depend upon. They are also referred to as PPLOs
(pleuro pneumonia-like organisms). Eaton
developed an agent that was later found to be Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Mycoplasmas have a cell membrane but not a
cell wall. They have intracellular
forms. Are members of the Class/order
Mollicute and are bacteria although they pass through filters originally used
to distinguish viruses from bacteria.
L-form bacteria are CWD
forms of bacteria that normally have a cell wall. “L” stands for the Lister
institute that first discovered and named them. Streptococcus pneumonia
and Mycobacteria tuberculosis have such a form. Smaller than the L-form
are the intracellular forms. For example, Mycoplasmas have intracellular forms.
L-forms of cell wall bacteria resemble the mycoplasmas but are different from
them. Penicillin kills the cell wall form but some of the bacteria switch to
CWD L-forms and continue to live in the infected host. Similarly, use of
antibiotics that attack the CWD forms will stimulate transformation from
L-forms into cell-wall-forms which then stimulate the re-occurrence of acute
infection symptoms.
Plasmids are small
virus-sized bodies that can invade bacteria and add genetic characteristics to
the invaded bacteria. For example, the
resistance to tetracyclines is conveyed by a plasmid. In-vitro cultivation
of the CWD form in the absence of the antibiotic will breed out the resistance
factor and also reduce the virulence of the microbe to its customary animal
host.
According to Drs Baseman and
Tulley, Mycoplasmas manipulate lipids (fats) in the blood and build protective
shells out of material that the immune detecting cells do not recognize. These fatty coats are similar to the waxy
coats that Mycobacterium tuberculosis uses to shield itself from the
antibiotics that attack it.
Broad spectrum antibiotics
like tetracycline are effective against CWD forms and L-forms. They act as a
chelating agent to modify the actions of metalo-enzymes, and block internal
processes critical to CWD survival. Metals are grabbed by the tetracyclines as
their chelation works. For example,
milk disables tetracycline by binding to the calcium. The goal is to have the drug to react against the microbes, not
be disabled in your gut.
These antibiotics are
relatively mild. Higher doses are not
effective against mycoplasmas. As Dr.
Thomas McPherson Brown discovered, low and pulsed application of tetracycline
(especially minocycline) is most effective, especially in the early stages of
LD. This treatment also works against Chlamydia
pneumoniae, which is an insidious, low level infection depositing arterial
plaques leading to heart disease, atherosclerois, Alzheimers disease, and
stroke. Slow death results over 20 to
40 years. Sixty percent of heart attack victims show C. pneumoniae
evidence, yet this infection is largely undiagnosed or treated by our doctors.
(See Ongoing Reserch)
For Lyme Disease, different
antibiotics in combination, tetracyclines (especially minocycline), and
antifungals (perhaps tinidiazole or claforan) could be given intravenously for
3+ months until the start of remission.
LD sometimes needs treatment as long as several years (see www.home.goulburn.net.au/~shack/Lyme.htm).
LD’s cyst/egg/bleb form is well
known. A Google search finds some 14,000+ hits. One case history describes an
acquired Lyme infection from eating tainted elk meat. Lyme Disease is a problem
in Europe and our own U.S. medical establishment is rather dysfunctional and
disorganized in Lyme research. NIH/CDC
gatekeepers appear to be inept or using too restrictive criteria in quantifying
the extent of the epidemic. Practitioners using CDC test criteria too often
deny helpful treatment for suffering patients.
Dr. Lida Mattman’s
photomicrographs on CWD bacteria are shown in Cell Wall Deficient Forms—Stealth Pathogen,
CRC Press, 3d edition. Boca Raton, FL. A video showing time lapse mutation of
Lyme forms was shown at the Autoimmune Research Foundation’s March 2005
conference in Chicago. BOOK FINDER Search
AddAll.com Old and Rare Booksellers for this book.
The
Marshall Protocol
A notable advancement in
antibiotic treatment is the Marshall Protocol. (See www.sarcinfo.com and http://www.ra-infection-connection.com/macrophages.htm).
Dr. Trevor Marshall notes that Benicar, an angotensin release blocker, (ARB)
has the property of reducing the Jarisch-Herxheimer adverse symptoms response (see following subsection) and
permitting the immune system to attack the bacteria when it is used together
with a suitable tetracycline or other effective antibiotic. Pulsing of dosage
on a 3 day cycle is used to force the antibiotic level to the lowest most
optimal killing level. A steady high
level is often not effective against the intracellular forms. (See http://members.aol.com/SynergyHN/MPall) One website describes various antibiotic
induced transitions of the CWD, intracellular, and spirochete forms of Bb
bacteria, explaining in detail reasons for chronic
persistence of the infection.
There is a lot of overlap
between symptoms of Fibromyalgia (FM), ALS, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS) and Lyme Disease.
Marshall’s protocol treats in succession a series of
antibiotic-sensitive microbes that respond to different antibiotics in phases
II and III of the Protocol. Some spokespersons at www.rheumatic.org have some points of practical disagreement
with Marshall but experience with Benicar and LD is fairly new. A Google search
with keywords [Lyme Benicar Marshall] comes up with 1440 hits, so there is a
lot of material to study.
Since severe
Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction is often a result of effective antibiotic treatment
as the microbes are killed off, and the severity of symptoms can be
life-threatening, Benicar is well worth using to enhance the control of the
inflammation. Marshall’s support group network can answer many questions not
addressed in this article.
Jarisch-Herxheimer
Reaction (“Herx”) = Antibiotic induced worstening of symptoms.
Doctors who prescribe the antibiotic protocol
usually advise the patient on diet and nutrition to help the immune system
withstand the Herx symptoms. Perhaps the nutrition activates some suppressed
immune modalities. For example, Vitamin C plus green tea extract (phenols) plus
L-lysine and L-proline make it harder for mycoplasmas and Bb to invade the
macrophages. With un-invaded macrophages, the immune system recovers from leukopenia
and starts to work at about 6+ grams ascorbate or ascorbic acid per day.
Vitamin C is a potent detoxifier. Several articles on the topic can be found
using Google keywords [ascorbic acid Klenner]. One of the best is Observations On the Dose and Administration of Ascorbic
Acid When Employed Beyond the Range Of A Vitamin In Human Pathology
by Dr. Frederick Klenner.
Chondroitin is quite similar in structure to
hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid) and spoofs the spreading-factor enzymes produced
by the bacteria.
Marshall notes that Benicar
plus the antibiotic enhances bacteria killing effectiveness and the Herx, but
makes it bearable by blocking the cytokine cascade that the bacteria uses to
protect itself.
It is a pity the other
doctors do not use antibiotics with anti-inflammatory drugs. Dr Brown taught this. Marshall uses Benicar for a similar purpose,
instead of prednisone.
Also a pity that doctors do
not typically warn patients about side effects of antibiotics and how to
compensate. I.e., the antibiotics will kill off good bacteria needed for proper
digestion along with pathogenic organisms. Doctors should (but rarely do)
advise patients to replenish the good bacteria with probiotics (yogurt,
acidophilus, buttermilk, supplement capsules, etc.). Failing to reinstate
intestinal balance can result in yeast overgrowth (Candidiasis, leaky-gut, food
allergies) or serious gut conditions such as Dysbiosis and inflannation.
Valuable
Lyme-related Resources
Dr. Joseph Mercola is a DO
in Chicago who has boundless energy and an incredible storehouse of knowledge.
He operates the most visited website on natural medicine on the Internet, www.mercola.com. He
was the source for the dietary guidelines (Appendix 5) and the physician’s
reference antibiotic protocol (Appendix 2) in Rheumatoid Arthritis: The
Infection Connection. A similar
resource in Maryland is Dr. Gabe Mirkin who specializes in Sports Medicine. He
has a fine website run by his wife Diana who was cured of RA by use of
tetracycline antibiotics with the protocol described in Appendix 2 of my book.
(See www.drmirkin.com).
The website www.lymetreatment.com/AntibioticTherapy.html
includes an excerpt from An
Overview of Lyme Disease and Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) Therapy by Hoggard and Johnson found at www.hbotoday,com/treatment/lymedisease.shtml/ Topics: Antibiotic Therapy: SubTopics: Co-Infections, Testing is a Problem, Current Testing, The PCR
Test, Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction, Politics of Lyme Disease, Survival Tactics?
(Cysting and Cellular Invasion)?, Alternative Health Care,
Bacteriocidal/Bacteriostatic, Devastating Survival Tactics (recap),
Antibiotics’ Mechanisms of Action, Discussion of medical controversy relating
to Lyme Disease and its treatment. A
comprehensive overview of the problem of Lyme Disease treatment; state of the
art.
An outstanding and
authoritative article, When to Suspect Lyme by John D Bleiweiss,
MD, written in April, 1994 appears at http://cassia.org/essay.htm.
This 9-page article presents a complete and comprehensive symptomology of Lyme
in its many presentations as they interact with other conditions, infections,
and diseases. Shows much overlap with other rheumatic
symptoms/diagnoses/conditions and a wide variability/extent ranging from slight
to severe symptom expressions. Includes some case histories and testing results
where outcome was successful.
A list of Lyme-literate MDs is given by the Lyme Disease
Foundation. The date on this referral address list is October 2003.
The May 2005 Conference on Lyme 30th Anniversary
(Marjorie Tietjen’s fine report). Conventional Lyme disease tests are directed
at finding the spirochete form and do not work well for the L-form aka cyst
form, intracellular form. With time, the L-forms with lesser detectability
proliferate. Tietjen describes the patented Bowen Test QRIBb 3000X Microscopic photography florescent test for
the Lyme antigen and Lida Mattman’s observations on the cell wall
deficient Lyme forms. Garth Nicholson also spoke at the conference. Dr JoAnne
Whitaker noted that the Bowen Test for persons diagnosed with ALS, Alzheimer’s,
Lupus, CFS, Fibromyalgia, Bell’s Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Autism, etc. shows
positive for Lyme for most if not all samples submitted.
Conventional Lyme Testing is problematic. See Igenex notes about which Lyme test to perform.
As time passes, the test sensitivity drops as the pleomorphic Lyme forms shift
to the smaller L-form and intracellular forms. Click on the thumbnail charts to
see them in larger form. The CWD forms are antigen poor and do not have the
same antigens as the spirochete form.
The consensus of the May
2005 conference is that we have a huge unrecognized, Multi-strain,
poly-microbial, persistent-multi-CWD-cofactors, Lyme-disease epidemic (see zoonoses). The microbes are spread by many biting insects, sexual
transmission, mother’s milk, food, water, respiration, etc. The infections’ CWD
forms are treatable with antibiotics, such as Doxycycline, streptomycin,
quinine, etc. However, CDC has failed to connect the dots regarding a large
number of “ mysterious” inflammatory diseases with shared symptoms, and
overlapping viral, fungal and bacterial co-infections that increase each
other’s virulence.
An excellent overview of Candida offers a concise discussion
of fungal/yeast systemic infection, its characteristics and treatment, current
information as of November 2003. Fungal
infections can contribute similar symptoms to the Lyme complex of symptoms.
Both can occur together, especially when treatment includes antibiotic
tetracycline and if compensating measures (probiotic supplements) are not
taken.
Sugar and/or estrogen intake
can facilitate Candida growth and other chronic infection modalities. Sugars of
various kinds are a strain-specific, essential energy source for Mycoplasma and
other CWD and intracellular forms.
An 11-page article on Lyme Disease-Induced Neurodegeneration (Neuroborreliosis) relates the Lyme parasite
to the symptoms of ALS and reports personal history of recovery from ALS
diagnosis using treatments for Borrelia burgdorferii (Bb) infection.
Contains lots of useful high quality links to related and supporting material.
This is an outstanding summary of the neurological effects of Bb infection, its
symptoms, and treatments.
Diagnosis and Therapy of
Chronic Systemic Co-Infections in Lyme Disease And Other Tick-Borne Infectious
Diseases by Prof. Garth L. Nicolson is an authoritative summary of Lyme Disease,
containing a list of commonly detected co-infections found via testing for a
wide range of patients. A table lists Lyme infection stages and antibiotic
treatment commonly used. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,
Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Other Fatigue Conditions is another excellent overview.
The merits of Pycnogenol are described in an overview article seeking alternative treatments for Lyme.
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Dr.
Poehlmann is the author of Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Infection Connection,
available on Amazon.com and at major bookstores, or click here to order now.
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