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Title: Lack of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA in synovial samples from patients with antibiotic treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis. Author: Carlson D, Hernandez J, Bloom BJ, Coburn J, Aversa JM, Steere AC. Journal: Arthritis Rheum; 1999 Dec; 42(12):2705-9. PubMed ID: 10616021. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Borrelia burgdorferi DNA may be detected in synovial tissue from patients with Lyme arthritis who have persistent synovial inflammation after antibiotic treatment. METHODS: Synovial specimens obtained at synovectomy from 26 patients with antibiotic treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis and from 10 control subjects were tested for B burgdorferi DNA using 3 primer-probe sets that target genes encoding outer surface proteins A or B or a flagellar protein (P41) of the spirochete. RESULTS: The 26 patients with Lyme arthritis, who had received antibiotic therapy for a mean total duration of 8 weeks prior to synovectomy, and the 10 control subjects each had negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results in synovial samples. When the samples were spiked with approximately 1-10 B burgdorferi, all but 1 had positive PCR results, suggesting that spirochetal DNA could have been detected in most of the unspiked samples if it had been present. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that synovial inflammation may persist in some patients with Lyme arthritis after the apparent eradication of the spirochete from the joint with antibiotic therapy.[Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]