lyme vaccine

[richie]

Hi Just read in the newspaper about a lyme vaccine being tested –results appear very good –Since I really dont follow lyme developments is this new –is it a breakthrough ??
richie

[Maz]

Hi Richie,

Can you share the link to the paper the article was found in and article title or let us know which paper?

I’m not going to hold my breath on this one, Richie. A few Lyme vaccines have been in the works, but the most notorious one from the 90s was LymeRix, which was launched onto the market and then pulled later when it caused all kinds of autoimmune problems, including RA, in those with certain genetic haplotypes. It has been one of the most controversial topics in Lyme history, because they used proteins from the borrelia spirochete to formulate the vaccine and removed those same antibody bands (OSP A and OSP B, which are Bands 31 and 34 on the IGeneX Lyme test) from the standard western blot to prevent cross-reactivity with those who’d been immunized. What this means is that those who get really sick with Lyme (such as those who are chronically ill with autoimmune presentations) aren’t being picked up in the standard tests. They never replaced the antibody bands to the test stating that these were “statistically insignificant” because they only showed up in later stages of Lyme!!! Pretty crazy…these are the folks who are the sickest, but the presumption was that these patients would have already been diagnosed and treated, I suppose. Sadly, the opposite has proven true.

Having run a search, I think this might be the vaccine you’re talking about (?), which is using the same OSP A that LymeRix used, by the sounds of it. 🙁

http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/15403/20130510/lyme-disease-vaccine.htm

Also, pretty incredible that this article states that the LymeRix vaccine was removed from the market “due to high cost”…and in the same breath, denying that this vaccine caused any “side-effects!” I guess big pharma is still in denial over this, but the plain fact of the matter is that “treatment resistant” Lyme arthritis is thought to be due to the exact same “outer surface protein” (OSP) from which these two vaccines have been made – OSP A! This study, authored by one of the biggest chronic Lyme denialists of all time and a rheumy, says it all…right from the horse’s mouth:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC280920/

Association of treatment-resistant chronic Lyme arthritis with HLA-DR4 and antibody reactivity to OspA and OspB of Borrelia burgdorferi.

I, personally, would not touch this vaccine with a barge-pole unless I had prior HLA-DR4 genetic allele/haplotype/genotype testing run. Unfortunately, a good majority of us with different rheumatic conditions all have a variation of this particular allele. And, if you look at the second genetic allele type in the list below, it describes which diseases are closely associated, including RA, MS and Lyme Arthritis…hmmmm…pretty obvious genetic association:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HLA-DR4

By allele

DRB1*04 is associated with increased risk for alopecia areata.[11]

DRB1*04:01 is associated with multiple sclerosis,[12] rheumatoid arthritis,[13] type 1 diabetes,[14][15] lyme disease induced arthritis[16]

DRB1*04:02: drug-triggered[17]/idiopathic pemphigus vulgaris,[18][19] type 1 diabetes,[15] SLE associated anti-cardiolipin and anti-?2 glycoprotein I[20]

DRB1*04:03: polycystic ovary syndrome,[21] SLE associated anti-cardiolipin and anti-?2 glycoprotein I[22]

DRB1*04:04: anti-citrullinated fibrinogen[23] in rheumatoid arthritis,[13] autoimmune hepatitis[24]

DRB1*04:05: rheumatoid arthritis,[25] Autoimmune hepatitis,[26] type 1 diabetes[14][15]

DRB1*04:06: caspase-8 autoantibodies silicosis-systemic sclerosis (SSc)-systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)[27]

DRB1*04:09: T. cruzi infection with cardiomyopathy[28]

By haplotype

DR4-DQ8 is a risk factor for papillary thyroid carcinoma,[29] juvenile diabetes, coeliac disease and rheumatoid arthritis.[30]

DRB1*04:DQA1*03:03-DQB1*04:01 haplotype: type III autoimmune polyglandular syndrome,[31] autoimmune hepatitis,[32] autoimmune pancreatitis[33]

DRB1*04:DQA1*03-DQB1*03:02 haplotype: Type 1 diabetes[34][35] with DRB1*04:01, *04:05, *04:02 increasing risk when DQ8 is present.[36]

By genotype

DRB1*01:01/*04:04 and *01:01/*04:01 increases risk of mortality in rheumatoid arthritis, with eschemic heart disease and smoking.[37] these same genotypes are associated with rheumatoid vasculitis.[38]

Would suggest strong caution and being sure to do a ton of research if considering this vaccine. My guess is that the sequalae of this vaccine won’t be known for a year or longer. So, even without the HLA genetic testing, I would probably hold off even considering it until any reported side-effects are well-known. I am actually pretty surprised at who has been involved in the development of this new vaccine, although…maybe not…some of these Lyme researchers are paid a fortune for their research by pharmaceuticals who are out looking to make big bucks. It’s one of the bones of contention in the Lyme world, because of serious conflicts of interest (in trying to prove that chronic Lyme doesn’t exist). If it doesn’t exist and is easily diagnosed and treated with a short course of abx, then why create an expensive vaccine? 🙄

[richie]

Hi–It was in Newsday of May 10 –if you go to Newsday.com and hit in lyme vaccine –it will come up –Newsday is the largest paper on Long Island –
richie

[Maz]

@richie wrote:

Hi–It was in Newsday of May 10 –if you go to Newsday.com and hit in lyme vaccine –it will come up –Newsday is the largest paper on Long Island –

Hi Richie,

Unfortunately, looks like you have to be a subscriber to view the full article:

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/li-scientists-develop-new-lyme-vaccine-1.5240446

Seems like the same vaccine mentioned above, though, as Ben Luft works out of Stony Brook on Long Island.

[mary77]

Maz and Richie,
I agree with Maz that NO ONE should try the “new” vaccine…what I read about the “side effects” of the LymeRix vaccine (from the 90’s) was that it caused severe, destructive, untreatable arthritis. Hmmm…certainly not worth taking that risk.
Mary

[Maz]

Hi Mary,

Yes, right with you there. Here is a testimonial provided by Dr. G. on the issues surrounding LymeRix. She is one of the founders of ILADs and a rheumy in NJ and it’s quite an interesting read with case studies:

http://www.disease-treatment.com/showthread.php?t=76815

[Author]

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