Fallon Publishes on Anti-Neuronal Autoantibodies after Bb Infection

Brian A. Fallon, Barbara Strobino et al. released the results of a recent study in Brain, Behavior, & Immunity – Health. The article was published on January 7, 2020 and is titled “Anti-lysoganglioside and other anti-neuronal autoantibodies in post-treatment Lyme Disease and Erythema Migrans after repeat infection”.

Excerpts from the Abstract:

Background: Molecular mimicry targeting neural tissue has been reported after Borrelia burgdorferi(Bb) infection. Herein, we investigate whether antineuronal autoantibodies are increased and whether antibody-mediated signaling of neuronal cells is elevated in a cohort of symptomatic adults with a history of Lyme Disease (LD).

Conclusion: The finding of elevated anti-neuronal autoantibodies in our small sample of those with a prior history of Lyme disease but not in those without prior Lyme disease, if replicated in a larger sample, suggests an immune priming effect of repeated infection; the CaMKII activation suggests that antineuronal antibodies have functional significance. The elevation of anti-lysoganglioside antibodies among those with PTLS is of particular interest given the established role of anti-ganglioside antibodies in peripheral and central neurologic diseases. Future prospective studies can determine whether these autoantibodies emerge after Bb infection and whether their emergence coincides with persistent neurologic or neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Dr. Fallon received LDA grant support for the project, and the resultant publication is the 53rd peer reviewed publication which focuses on LDA-supported research.

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