Lyme Triggering Lupus

Dr. Daniel Cameron has reviewed the article “Lyme Borreliosis as a Trigger for Autoimmune Disease,” in his Lyme Disease Science Blog, “Lyme Disease Triggers Autoimmune Disease – Lupus.” The case report describes a 35-year-old woman who developed pain in the joints of her hand, low-grade fevers, weakness, fatigue, and skin rashes on her hands and trunk following an insect bite. She was diagnosed with Lyme disease (positive by western blot) and treated with a 28-day course of doxycycline.

Treatment resulted in resolution or improvement of symptoms; however, two months after completion of treatment, the woman developed new symptoms including: “low-grade fevers, a butterfly-like bilateral erythema on the cheek, hair loss, pain, morning stiffness in her hands and wrist joints, weight loss and pronounced chilliness of the fingers.” Skin biopsy confirmed lupus, an autoimmune disease. The woman experienced symptom improvement with treatment for lupus. 

Authors concluded that patients with antibiotic resistant Lyme disease are experiencing immune-mediated processes due to long-term exposure of the host’s immune system to spirochetes.

For More Information:

Read Dr. Cameron’s Lyme Disease Science Blog

Read article “Lyme Borreliosis as a Trigger for Autoimmune Disease”

Read More LDA Articles on Lyme and Autoimmune Disease