Bartonella

[NHE]

The People's Pharmacy recently interviewed Dr. Breitschwerdt and Dr. Mozayeni discussing their research on Bartonella in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/06/ ... y-disease/


Combined interview.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/PP-907Bartonella.mp3

Extended interview with Dr. Breitschwerdt.
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/Breitsch ... tended.mp3

Extended interview with Dr. Mozayeni
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/MozayeniXtended.mp3

Here is a link to their full research paper.

Bartonella spp. bacteremia and rheumatic symptoms in patients from Lyme disease-endemic region.
Emerg Infect Dis. 2012 May; 18(5):783-91.

Bartonella spp. infection has been reported in association with an expanding spectrum of symptoms and lesions. Among 296 patients examined by a rheumatologist, prevalence of antibodies against Bartonella henselae, B. koehlerae, or B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii (185 [62%]) and Bartonella spp. bacteremia (122 [41.1%]) was high. Conditions diagnosed before referral included Lyme disease (46.6%), arthralgia/arthritis (20.6%), chronic fatigue (19.6%), and fibromyalgia (6.1%). B. henselae bacteremia was significantly associated with prior referral to a neurologist, most often for blurred vision, subcortical neurologic deficits, or numbness in the extremities, whereas B. koehlerae bacteremia was associated with examination by an infectious disease physician. This cross-sectional study cannot establish a causal link between Bartonella spp. infection and the high frequency of neurologic symptoms, myalgia, joint pain, or progressive arthropathy in this population; however, the contribution of Bartonella spp. infection, if any, to these symptoms should be systematically investigated.

[lyndacarol]

Is it possible that intestinal permeability (Leaky Gut) could allow Bartonella, or any bacterium or virus (e.g., EBV), or excess insulin (my favorite, you know) to enter the bloodstream rapidly and start the MS cascade with an immune reaction? Nutritional deficiencies may even result from intestinal inflammation preventing nutrient absorption in the area of the small intestine where those nutrients normally are absorbed.

Just thinking out loud. Maybe Leaky Gut is the common element to all of our hypotheses?

[Squeakycat]

The People's Pharmacy recently interviewed Dr. Breitschwerdt and Dr. Mozayeni discussing their research on Bartonella in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Dr. Breitschwerdt also reported one case of someone with a bartonella infection who was diagnosed with MS:

Source URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2546763/
PMID: 18632903
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00832-08
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Microbiology
Journal Date: September 2008
Journal Issue: 9
Journal Volume: 46
Journal First Page: 2856
Abstract URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... t=abstract
Article Title: Bartonella sp. Bacteremia in Patients with Neurological and Neurocognitive Dysfunction
Article Authors: E. B. Breitschwerdt, R. G. Maggi, W. L. Nicholson, N. A. Cherry, C. W. Woods

One year prior to testing in our laboratory, patient 5 developed an acute febrile illness and malaise, which abated over the next week. In the subsequent months, neurological symptoms consisted of stumbling during jogging, muscle weakness, and fatigue, which was thought to be associated with viral neuropathy. During the next year, symptoms worsened to the extent that running was no longer possible and he could not walk unaided any distance; leg myoclonus worsened, hand numbness became problematic, and resting three to four times a day was a necessity. Multiple sclerosis was diagnosed, and treatment with intravenous interferon, intravenous immunoglobulin G, and glucocorticoids was initiated.