title: Lyme disease serology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Lyme disease is sometimes part of the differential diagnosis for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Herein we report on 414 individuals with ALS at the Massachusetts General Hospital who underwent laboratory testing for Lyme disease. Twenty-four (5.8%) were seropositive, but only 4 (0.97%) had confirmed past immunoreactive infection. Two of these patients received ceftriaxone for 1 month without clinical improvement. Lyme disease was rare in 414 patients with ALS and is not likely to be causative.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Clinical Trials Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 13th Street, Building 149, Room 2274, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA. mqureshi@partners.org
authors.forename: Muddasir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Bedlack
authors.forename: Merit E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cudkowicz
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D002443:Ceftriaxone