Premium
Ultrastructure of Borrelia burgdorferi in tissues of patients with Lyme disease
Author(s) -
Hulínská Dagmar,
Jirouš Jan,
Valešová Marika,
Herzogová Jana
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of basic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.58
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1521-4028
pISSN - 0233-111X
DOI - 10.1002/jobm.3620290203
Subject(s) - borrelia burgdorferi , lyme disease , ultrastructure , borrelia , connective tissue , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , spirochaetaceae , arthritis , lyme , synovial membrane , skin biopsy , erythema chronicum migrans , biology , medicine , biopsy , virology , immunology , antibody
Spirochetal organisms were sought in 18 skin and 4 synovial membrane specimens obtained by biopsy from 22 Lyme disease patients. The presence of spirochetes in body tissues was histologically demonstrated in one patient with lymphadenosis benigna cutis, one patient with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans and in one patient with active arthritis. The organisms were 5–30 μm long and 0.12–0.25 μm thick, had 8 or 11 flagella arising from both ends of the body, and their ultrastructure was analogous to that of cultured Borrelia burgdorferi strains. They were located intra‐ or perivascularly, or in the collagenous connective tissue of the skin and synovium. This implies that Lyme spirochetes may have a potential to survive in body tissues and cause injury to blood vessels.