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 Study
SLICE Study
SLICE is a landmark study sponsored by LymeMD. A collaborative initiative with the division of Rheumatology at Johns Hopkins, the study examines the impact of Lyme disease on the human immune system and on patient health.
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Note: we are still enrolling patients for the Slice Study. See
requirements to participate.
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.
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- 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. Read entire article
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.
Publications
- 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
- 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
- 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/VOL. 7, NO. 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