Interesting, because this finding and observation teaches us more about surviving.
Since Antibiotic was discovered in 1940s, we were made to believe science has all the answers to help us survive on this earth for ever. We forgot the simple laws of nature and abused other living organisms.
This study help me to understand why some children with meningococcus septicaemia died early during the course of their illness and others with severe illness and florid rash survived.
Stress is part of living and is very essential for us to survive, so are the micro-organisms with or without cell wall. The only time we don't encounter stress is after we die.
The problem we now have is that people are made to believe that science can find solutions to all our problems but this has proved to be an illusion and not a reality. If scientists stand back and start thinking what makes our life tick? and stop thinking about killing to survive then we may stumble on a solution to survive this war. We must learn and believe in "Live and Let live".
Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is one of the bacteria in which ability to transform into L-forms has been reported.
The severely restrictive Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) diagnostic and treatment guidelines for Lyme disease limit treatment to 3 weeks. Widespread acceptance of these guidelines - recently the subject of a civil investigation by the CT attorney general - has caused much suffering in people with a chronic form of the disease. Over half fail this short treatment.
According to a survey of 3,600 patients, CALDA found that
90% had difficulty or extreme difficulty finding a knowledgeable physician to treat Lyme disease.
51% had traveled more than 100 miles to obtain treatment, and 53% had been forced to travel out of state to obtain care.
54% had been treated and failed treatment under IDSA protocols.
More than 60% of respondents who failed to improve under IDSA protocols improved with additional treatment.
The Lyme disease community is waiting with anticipation for the day when Zhang et al's discovery finds practical application in the treatment of chronic resistant and recurring Lyme disease.
How gratifying it is to see that reporter Aleena Lakhanpal includes Borrelia burgdorferi in the list of bacteria which can transform into an L-form. Perhaps someone should notify Dr. John J. Halperin of this because he dismissed the idea when I raised it in a letter to Neurology regarding Dr. Brian Fallon's study on Lyme encephalopathy (Neurology 2009; 72: 383-6.).
Until we see clinical treatment trials of late Lyme disease which utilize antibiotic combinations containing an agent effective against the L-form we will continue to see poor outcomes. As I said in my Neurology letter, enough is only enough if it's the right stuff.
A little good news for the Lyme community this Sunday Morning, hopefully now Doctors will be made aware so they will understand that Lyme is persistent and difficult to treat and yes chronic Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi) exists in L form.
Thank you for your discovery Dr Zang,now for development of the proper treatment.
For those of us being treated with antibiotics for our scleroderma, lyme, lupus, etc. this is only exciting news because, finally, someone besides our doctors will support the treatment of these autoimmune diseases with antibiotics.
I have scleroedema. For about 100 days I've been on doryx and virtually all of my symptoms have reversed, I have some residual swelling left in muscles. I had lost used of my right arm, which I have regained most of my mobility and range of motion, and my neck muscles are coming back. I expect to be in complete remission within two years. Miniocin has been used in the United States to treat scleroderma for at least fifty years. Perhaps, now, the American College of Rheumatologists will acknowledge antibiotic treatment at their annual meeting, and it's members won't shout at the people in the Roadback Foundation booth.
You can delete my comment, but I speak for many thousands of AP patients.
Thank you professor Zhang. God Bless you.
This work will finally lead the medical community to celebrate Dr. Thomas McPherson Brown as the father of modern rheumatology, the man who elevated rheumatology from witch-doctoring to a science.
Dr. Zhangs research and conclusions are a ray of light and reason in what has been a very dark hole. Hopefully his findings, and in particular his team's accomplishment in successfully culturing L-form bacteria, will lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment of many forms of chronic, bacterialogical maladies. I speak to lyme disease in particular. Although the L-form borrelia have been observed, the lack of a culture has brought on this "inquisition" from the IDSA and their allies, denying, not only treatment to the afflicted, but the very existance of the disease itself. Perhaps the day will soon come when borrelia burgdorferi will also be successfully cultured in the L-form, putting this issue to rest and facilitating a new wave of research which will lead to a cure for chronic lyme and other antibiotic-resistant bacterial diseases.
I am a Marine and have been sick (with Lyme disease) now for almost 4 years. I can only hope that this article is accepted by our military doctors. The battle is not over; we need to convince doctors that this illness causes severe disability. Too many service members are not being treated, misdiagnosed, not diagnosed and sent to the psychiatrist for mental evaluation because they can't find anything wrong when in fact many of us have scientific evidence that proves Lyme disease and other tick borne diseases are present not to mention that we have been diagnosed by civilian doctors with such diseases yet the military does not concur nor will they treat. It's all a shame and I can only pray. Dr Zhang I applaud you and your staff and ask you to keep a stiff backbone when it comes to educating the great masses of denial from other medical professionals about the severity of this illness and its chronic form. God bless you and your staff!
Thank you Dr. Zhang, for this much-needed research. "Evidence-based" medicine? Lyme patients are denied treatment because they are told there is no evidence to support it. Please continue your research and avoid all interaction with insurance companies who will do everything in their power to suppress the "evidence" of persistent lyme infection. A highly trained pediatric neurologist at a highly-regarded childrens' national medical center told me, yes, lyme can persist and cause untold symptoms in children, but, no, he doesn't treat it (but he would treat strep for 18 months). The truth is, doctors are afraid. Please give them more evidence. You are a hero!
Thank you Dr. Zhang for giving us in the Lyme community hope. Every day of our lives we battle this horrible disease just hoping and praying for a cure. Your research must continue with haste! My God bless you and your colleagues and thank you again.
Spring Break
Dr Kadiyali M Srivatsa
posted 11/07/09 @ 1:17 AM EST
Since Antibiotic was discovered in 1940s, we were made to believe science has all the answers to help us survive on this earth for ever. We forgot the simple laws of nature and abused other living organisms.
This study help me to understand why some children with meningococcus septicaemia died early during the course of their illness and others with severe illness and florid rash survived.
Stress is part of living and is very essential for us to survive, so are the micro-organisms with or without cell wall. The only time we don't encounter stress is after we die.
The problem we now have is that people are made to believe that science can find solutions to all our problems but this has proved to be an illusion and not a reality. If scientists stand back and start thinking what makes our life tick? and stop thinking about killing to survive then we may stumble on a solution to survive this war. We must learn and believe in "Live and Let live".