Damage of Collagen and Elastic Fibres by Borrelia Burgdorferi - Known and New Clinical and Histopathological Aspects

In the last year or so I have noticed a rapid loss of elasticity in my own skin. Coincident with this, I had a positive culture test result from Advanced Laboratory Services for Borrelia meaning that even after years of antibiotic therapy both oral and intravenous, I still have active Borrelia in my blood. Over the ten or so years of my reading about Lyme disease and related conditions, I've seen references in the literature about Bartonella affecting skin. However, those have mostly been about degradation or destruction of surface capillaries visible in the skin.  I've had plenty of that as well in the last year. This paper addresses the issue of loss of elasticity and collagen of the skin as a result of infection by Borrelia rather than Bartonella. Specifically, it references loss of collagen as well as connective soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments and even the dislocation of the spinal vertebrae that can result when critical connective tissues begin to lose strength. - Bob

Damage of Collagen and Elastic Fibres by Borrelia Burgdorferi - Known and New Clinical and Histopathological Aspects

Muller, KE. Damage of Collagen and Elastic Fibres by Borrelia Burgdorferi – Known and New Clinical and Histopathological Aspects.

Open Neurol J. 2012; 6: 179–186.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3751012/

 

Lyme Borreliosis, or Lyme disease, manifests itself in numerous skin conditions. Therapeutic intervention should be initiated as soon as a clinical diagnosis of erythema migrans is made. The histopathology of some of the skin conditions associated with Lyme Borreliosis is characterised by structural changes to collagen, and sometimes also elastic fibres. These conditions include morphea, lichen sclerosus et atrophicus and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. More recently, further skin conditions have been identified by the new microscopic investigation technique of focus floating microscopy: granuloma annulare, necrobiosis lipoidica, necrobiotic xanthogranuloma, erythema annulare centrifugum, interstitial granulomatous dermatitis, cutaneous sarcoidosis and lymphocytic infiltration; these conditions also sometimes cause changes in the connective tissue. In the case of ligaments and tendons, collagen and elastic fibres predominate structurally. They are also the structures that are targeted by Borrelia. The resultant functional disorders have previously only rarely been associated with Borreliosis in clinical practice. Ligamentopathies and tendinopathies, spontaneous ruptures of tendons after slight strain, dislocation of vertebrae and an accumulation of prolapsed intervertebral discs as well as ossification of tendon insertions can be viewed in this light.