Posted 3/11/2013 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Violets,
Thank you for your observations:
["The ANA is the only lab that came back abnormal for me. I had a very low ESR and my C-reactive protein was fine. I actually had a slightly elevated RBC and HCT. But.... yet you and I possibility share the same diagnosis. Or a variation of the same theme.
Most long term or chronic lymies don't have much of a reaction at all when it comes to labs. Basically, their body isn't fighting the disease enough that it shows up on labs, such as the the C-reactive protein or the sedimentation rate....and yet your labs indicate inflammation."]
I've read enough to see that what we sometimes call 'disease' (eg fibromilagia, Rhem Arth, Alz, etc.) can simply be 'symptoms.' I also see that these symptoms perhaps indicate the degree of infection: ie.: cross into the brain barrier (Alz); cross into tendons* (eg trigger finger), or synovial joint hard-tissues (Osteo, and Rhum Arthritis). I also see that in these advanced stages, even I.V. antibiotics are not helpful. The research in '05 suggests that tendon tissues can serve as a specific site of spirochete residence in human hosts.There is so little blood flow in ligamentous tissue, that expecting a positive result from antibiotics would be naive, IMHO.
I suspect my condition(s) are further down the path then yours.
Add to that, there is such a thing as cell 'life span', as indicated by the length of telomere structures; and as cells are 'forced' into reproduction by 'insults' from the "toxic soup", their life-span is shortened. Thus, once heart valves, or knee joints have been assaulted enough, the necessary tissues cease to regenerate, and we are back to labeling the issue a 'disease' state, and treating 'for' a disease - how ever remote from the perhaps, 'catalytic' cause.
So if antibiotics can't impact spirochete residence in privileged sites (CSF, cartelidge, tendons, bone), what should we be pursuing?
I am seeing promising information regard the recruitment of IL-1 (Interlukin 1) in Borrelia burgdorferi infected hard tissues, and tissue damage from the infection is due to an IL-1 component: caspase-1. Caspase-1 is being investigated for application to a number of inflammatory diseases, but Lymes ain't one of them at this time. The best compound showing efficacy btw, is VX-765, (aka: VRT-043198). If anyone knows of 'research only' application of this compound towards stemming caspase-1 damage, I would be happy to hear it!
*"Borrelia burgdorferi in ligamentous tissue; '05 Arthritis & Rheumatism Vol 36, Issue 11"