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Mycoplasma

Since the isolation of pleuropneumoniae-like organisms (PPO) resembling mycoplasma from an ovarian cyst in a patient with scleroderma (Brown 1955), few studies have been conducted to look for mycoplasma in scleroderma until the following ground-breaking murine study in 2004.


Mycoplasma infection induces a scleroderma-like centrosome autoantibody response in mice.  Clin Exp Immunol. 2004 Aug;137(2):288-97.

Groundbreaking murine study (2004) demonstrated that intracellular mycoplasma infections induce antigenic autoantibody responses in systemic scleroderma, abrogating normal cellular division by damaging mitotic spindle organization in cell organelles, called centrosomes. Study authors at the University of Massachusetts Medical School conclude by saying that “intriguing” scleroderma remissions have been described following antibiotic treatments targeting mycoplasmas, referencing studies using minocycline or ciprofloxacin.  


 

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