3.) ANOTHER GROUP OF PATIENTS HAVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND LYME.
There are some patients who have a clear-cut preexisting history of MS before the onset of Lyme disease. The Lyme appears to accelerate their clinical course. For others, it appears to be the initiating infection that triggers the MS.
These patients are most likely genetically predisposed to MS and the Lyme bacteria exerts its major effect by "turning on" immunologically directed CNS injury.
It is not uncommon to get a history of the onset of an exacerbation of MS related to infections, so Lyme exacerabating MS would be expected. HLA Class II molecules determine the intensity of the immune response to pathogenic foreign or self antigens.
With MS, the HLA-DR4 DQw8 haplotype has been associated with chronic progressive MS and the HLA-DR2 DQw6 haplotype has been associated with susceptibility to both chronic progressive and relapsing or remitting MS.
It is possible that in genetically predisposed patients of certain HLA types that infectioon by Lyme bacteria would cause a high production of cytokines that would mediate the demyelination and destruction of oligodendrocytes.
Has anyone been tested for the HLA-DR4 DQw8 haplotype? How do you get this test? Kim
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
up
Posted by Sojourner (Member # 9424) on :
Sorry, I just don't buy the MS and lyme too,thing. Lyme causes neurological symptoms--we know that for sure. I would guess most people with lyme have some kind of neuro symtoms. Does this mean everyone with lyme also has MS?---phooy! That means my 9 year old with L'hermittes has MS and lyme, too. No, I think see just has lyme and we'll treat that and see what happens.
I guess you already know I don't think this theory is true-- Posted by lalyme (Member # 8964) on :
This info is very old and there have been many studies which negate much of this info since this study was done oner 12 years ago.
Posted by Boomerang (Member # 7979) on :
Very interesting, humanbeing. Thanks for the info.
Posted by Karl1 (Member # 10922) on :
Ironically, (if you can find any laughter in it- I can't) "MS" is misdiagnosis. Ignorance of the medical community as Lyme merely mimics "MS."
A simpleton Neuro simply says...."you have "MS" based on the MRI's...this isn't anything else. Take your meds and learn to live with it."
That is all they know, they're not real doctors....and unfortunately, there aren't many real doctors, either.
I have Lyme, Babesiosis and cpn (respiratory infection)....which together gave me a whopping 23+ lesions on the brain and spinal cord.
I've seen 16 doctors and only 2 know what they are doing. Great odds...huh?
Anyway, in my response to the ignorance of the medical communities...I'm curing "MS." Just to turn them on a dime....
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)