title: Presence of Borrelia burgdorferi "Sensu Lato" in patients with morphea from the Amazonic region in Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the present study, Borrelia spirochetes were found in four (26.6%) out of 15 patients with Atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini (IAPP) and lichen sclerosis et atrophicans (LSA) from the Brazilian Amazon Region.
  
  
  METHODS
  Borreliosis was investigated by immunohistochemistry and focus floating microscopy for Borrelia burgdorferi in skin biopsy samples from 15 patients with both clinical and histopathology evidences compatible with Morphea, LSA, and IAPP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Spirochetes were detected by specific immunohistochemistry and focus floating microscopy for B. burgdorferi in samples from three patients. A limitation of our study was the fact that we were not able to isolate and culture these organisms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm the presence of borreliosis cases in the Amazon.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Fundação de Medicina Tropical do Amazonas, Amazonas, Brazil.|Amazonas State University, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
authors: Mônica
authors: M
authors: Santos
authors: Cellular and Molecular Immunology Lab., Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas and Pathology Department, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil.
authors: Rodrigo
authors: R
authors: Ribeiro-Rodrigues
authors: Department of Dermatology, Fundação de Medicina Tropical do Amazonas, Amazonas, Brazil.|Amazonas State University, Manaus, AM, Brazil.
authors: Carolina
authors: C
authors: Talhari
authors: Department of Dermatology, Fundação de Medicina Tropical do Amazonas, Amazonas, Brazil.|Pathology Division, Fundação de Medicina Tropical do Amazonas, Amazonas, Brazil.
authors: Luiz C L
authors: LCL
authors: Ferreira
authors: Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors: Bernhard
authors: B
authors: Zelger
authors: Department of Dermatology, Fundação de Medicina Tropical do Amazonas, Amazonas, Brazil.
authors: Sinesio
authors: S
authors: Talhari
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018459:Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018951:Antigens, CD20