LymeMD - Lyme Disease Research Foundation

Research Mission

The Foundation focuses on the long recognized and newly defined group of individuals with posttreatment Lyme syndrome [1]. The goal is to clearly define and understand the cause of disabling symptoms these patients may suffer and improve their diagnosis, treatment, and health outcomes.

[1] Post-Lyme disease syndrome, post-treatment chronic Lyme disease and chronic Lyme disease are names used by different medical organizations at different times that generally refer to the same group of patients. It should be noted that the use of Post-Lyme disease syndrome by the Foundation does not imply an endorsement by this Foundation of any one exclusive view regarding causation, diagnosis, or treatment.

Current Studies

SLICE Studies

The SLICE studies are a landmark series of studies sponsored by the Lyme Disease Research Foundation. A collaborative initiative with the division of Rheumatology at Johns Hopkins, the studies examine the impact of Lyme disease on the human immune system and on patient health. Read entire article. Note: we are still enrolling patients for the SLICE studies. See requirements to participate.

Publications

• Health Care Costs, Utilization and Patterns of Care following Lyme Disease. Emily R. Adrion, John N. Aucott, Klaus W. Lemke, Jonathan P. Weiner. PLoS ONE. Volume 10, Issue 2. February 4, 2015. Healthcare claims study shows Lyme disease costs upward of $1.3 billion to treat. Read entire article
• Lyme disease and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome: the neglected disease in our own backyard. Lauren A. Crowder, Victoria A. Yedlin, Eric R. Weinstein, John N. Aucott, Kathleen B. Kortte. Public Health. Volume 128, Issue 9. September 9, 2014. The need for further understanding and communication presents an opportunity for public health research and education in Lyme disease and the sequelae of PTLDS. Read abstract
• Characteristics of seroconversion and implications for diagnosis of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome: acute and convalescent serology among a prospective cohort of early Lyme disease patients. Alison W. Rebman, Lauren A. Crowder, Allison Kirkpatrick, John N. Aucott. Clinical Rheumatology. June 13, 2014. The lack of seroconversion in a subset of patients, highlights the limitations of using serology alone in identifying early Lyme disease. Read abstract
• Serum Inflammatory Mediators as Markers of Human Lyme Disease Activity. Mark J. Soloski, Lauren A. Crowder, Lauren J. Lahey, Catriona A. Wagner, William H. Robinson, and John N. Aucott. PLOS ONE. (2014) The levels of serum chemokines and the levels of expression of their respective chemokine receptors on T cell subsets may prove to be informative biomarkers for Lyme disease and related to specific disease manifestations. Read entire article
• Development of a foundation for a case definition of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. John N. Aucott, Lauren A.Crowder, and Kathleen B. Kortte. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 17 (2013) This article describes the initial findings of the SLICE Study, showing results from the first prospective controlled study in the United States designed to specifically measure symptom and health related quality of life outcomes after the antibiotic treatment of early Lyme disease. Read entire article
• Atypical Erythema Migrans in Patients with PCR-Positive Lyme Disease. S.E. Schutzer, B.W. Berger, J.G. Krueger, M.W. Eshoo, D.J. Ecker; J.N. Aucott. Emerging Infectious Diseases • www.cdc.gov/eid • Vol. 19, No. 5, May 2013. This report re-emphasizes that the majority of proven cases of erythema migrans do not have the text book “bull’s eye” appearance and therefor may be harder for patients and physicians to recognize as a sign of early Lyme disease. Read entire article
• Direct Molecular Detection and Genotyping of Borrelia burgdorferi from Whole Blood of Patients with Early Lyme Disease. Mark W. Eshoo, Christopher C. Crowder, Alison W. Rebman, Megan A. Rounds, Heather E. Matthews, John M. Picuri, Mark J. Soloski, David J. Ecker, Steven E. Schutzer, John N. Aucott. Published: PLoS ONE | www.plosone.org -- May 2012 | Volume 7 | Issue 5 | e36825. This research collaboration shows that new state of the art methods can accurately detect the minute amount of DNA of the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi in the blood stream of patients with early untreated Lyme disease Read entire article
• Bull's-Eye and Nontarget Skin Lesions of Lyme Disease: An Internet Survey of Identification of Erythema Migrans. John N. Aucott, Lauren A.Crowder, Victoria Yedlin, and Kathleen B. Kortte. Dermatology Research and Practice, Volume 20. The results of this survey demonstrate that individuals are unfamiliar with the atypical skin manifestations of early Lyme disease.Read entire article
• Probable late lyme disease: a variant manifestation of untreated Borrelia burgdorferi infection. John N. Aucott, Ari Seifter, and Alison W Rebman. BMC Infectious Diseases 2012, 12:173. This review of patients seen in the community practice of medicine shows that some patients with untreated late Lyme disease may have only chronic symptoms and do not have the classic objective findings of Lyme arthritis or nerve damage. Read entire article
• Post-treatment Lyme Disease syndrome symptomatology and the impact on life functioning: is there something here? John N. Aucott, Alison W. Rebman, Lauren A. Crowder, & Kathleen B. Kortte. Quality of Life Research. Published online: February 1, 2012. This study aims to describe a cohort of participants with early, untreated Lyme disease, and characterize post-antibiotic treatment symptoms and functional impact of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome over time. Read entire article
• Sex Differences in the Clinical and Serologic Presentation of Early Lyme Disease: Results From a Retrospective Review Alison Schwarzwalder, MPH; Michael F. Schneider, MS; Alison Lydecker, MPH; and John N. Aucott, MD. Gender Medicine. Volume 7, Issue 4, 2010. This paper shows for the first time that women’s antibody responses used to diagnose Lyme disease may not be equivalent to those seen in men. Read entire article
• The Utility of “Google Trends for Epidemiological Research: Lyme Disease as an Example. Ari Seifter, Alison Schwarzwalder, Kate Geis, John Aucott. Geospatial Health 4(2), 2010, pp. 135-137. Article examines the potential of the Internet for monitoring epidemics of disease such as Lyme. Read entire article
• Unusual Presentation of Lyme Disease: Horner Syndrome with Negative Serology Candis Morrison, PhD, CRNP, Ari Seifter, and John N. Aucott, MD. J Am Board Fam Med 2009;22:219 –222. This article highlights an unusual presentation that most physicians would not consider to be a result of Lyme disease. Read entire article
• Diagnostic Challenges of Early Lyme Disease: Lessons from a Community Case Series John Aucott, Candis Morrison, Beatriz Munoz, Peter C Rowe, Alison Schwarzwalder and Sheila K West. BMC Infectious Diseases 2009, 9:79 Accepted: 1 June 2009. This manuscript describes the variability in the presenting symptoms of Lyme disease and difficulty with its diagnosis in the community-based practice of medicine. It shows physicians’ current, widespread difficulty in making accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions in early Lyme. Read entire article

Abstracts Presented at National Meetings about the Slice Study

• Temporal patterns of early cytokine immune response to infection with B burgdorferi. Aucott J, Schwarzwalder A, Miagkov A, Soloski M. Presented at the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene meetings, November 19-22, 2009. Read entire article
• Post-Lyme syndrome, an emerging complication of acute infection with Borrelia burgdorferi. Schwarzwalder A, Johnson-Greene D, Aucott J. Presented at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, July 11-15, 2010. See chart
• Another Difference between Boys and Girls: Sex-Based Differences in Lyme Disease. L. A. Crowder, V. A. Yedlin, M. Soloski, J. N. Aucott See Chart
• T-cell Immunophenotyping in Early Lyme Disease. L. A. Crowder, J. N. Aucott, M. Soloski See Chart

Note: These abstracts describe the SLICE Study, a five-year prospective cohort study conducted through Johns Hopkins Green Spring/Johns Hopkins Bayview examining symptom prevalence, risk factors, natural history, and biomarkers associated with the development of persistent symptoms following exposure to Lyme disease.