LYME DISEASE: STUDY OF THE ETIOLOGICAL AGENT

莱姆病是一种扁虱传播的疾病，最近(1982-1983)被证明是值得警惕的。 被螺旋体感染。螺旋体是通过该属的扁虱传播的。 硬壳动物。来自疫区的19%到61%的扁虱携带 螺旋体。莱姆病是一种全身性疾病，通常以 特征性皮损，慢性迁延性红斑。如果不治疗， 几周到几个月后，某些患者会出现神经或心脏疾病 异常现象。在此之后，一些人会间歇性地发作关节炎 可能成为慢性软骨和骨骼侵蚀的患者。莱姆 疾病现在是一个重要的公共卫生问题，有6%到10%的人 居住在一些流行地区，经历这种疾病。鲜为人知的是 莱姆病的寄主-寄生虫关系及其致病机制 本病的血清学诊断方法及敏感的特异性试验 是必要的。我们计划1)调查文化状况，以改善 莱姆病螺旋体的分离，2)用实验动物 在体内测定莱姆病螺旋体的抗生素敏感性， 该病疫苗的可行性和抗体在疾病中的作用 对莱姆病的免疫，3)研究人类吞噬细胞在宿主中的作用 对莱姆病螺旋体的防御。

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease recently (1982-1983) shown to be caued by a spirochete. The spirochete is transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes. Nineteen to 61% of these ticks from endemic areas carry the spirochete. Lyme disease is a systemic illness that usually begins with a characteristic skin lesion, erythema chronicum migrans. If untreated, weeks to months later certain patients develop neurologic or cardiac abnormalities. After this, intermittent attacks of arthritis occur in some patients which may become chronic with erosion of cartilage and bone. Lyme disease is now an important public health problem with 6 to 10% of people living in some endemic areas experiencing the disease. Little is known of the host-parasite relationship nor the mechanism of pathogenesis in Lyme disease and a sensitive specific test for the serodiagnosis of this disease is needed. We plan to 1) investigate cultural conditions to improve the isolation of Lyme disease spirochetes, 2) use an experimental animal to determine in vivo antibiotic sensitivity of the Lyme disease spirochete, feasibility of a vaccine for this disease and the role of antibodies in immunity to Lyme disease, 3) study the role of human phagocytes in the host defense against the Lyme disease spirochete.