title: Lyme disease: a unique human model for an infectious etiology of rheumatic disease.
abstract: Lyme disease is a complex immune-mediated multi-system disorder that is infectious in origin and inflammatory or "rheumatic" in expression. Through its epidemiologic characteristics, large numbers of a seasonally synchronized patient population are readily available for prospective study. Lyme disease has a known clinical onset ("zero time"), marked by the characteristic expanding skin lesion, erythema chronicum migrans, and a clearly defined pre-articular phase. At least some manifestations of the disorder are responsive to antibiotics, and the causative agent--a spirochete--is now known. These advantages make Lyme disease unique as a human model for an infectious etiology of rheumatic disease.
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013987:Ticks
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D010406:Penicillins