title: Searching for autoimmunity in "antibiotic-refractory" Lyme arthritis.
abstract: In two recent articles published in Molecular Immunology, Steere and colleagues continue their search for an autoimmune mechanism of arthritis in patients who have failed short-course antibiotic therapy for Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of Lyme disease. As in previous attempts, the authors fail to elucidate a molecular mimicry mechanism for the putative autoimmune process, leading to the conclusion that there is no credible scientific evidence for a post-infectious autoimmune mechanism of arthritis in chronic Lyme disease.
authors.forename: Raphael B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Stricker
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D018716:Molecular Mimicry / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents