Publication details
Teratogenní účinky Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. – mýtus nebo realita?
| Title in English | Teratogenic effects of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. – myth or reality? |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2010 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Sborník XVI. Luhačovické pediatrické dny |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Epidemiology, infectious diseases and clinical immunology |
| Keywords | Lyme borreliosis – teratogenic effect – congenital malformations – transplacental antibodies |
| Description | Teratogenic effect was clearly demonstrated in other spirochetal infections: syphilis and leptospirosis. A similar unfavorable effect is discussed in Lyme borreliosis. A number of cases with positive findings of borreliae in abortions or newborns who died shortly after delivery was published. Borreliae were found in the brain, heart, spleen, kidney, adrenals, liver and placenta. The borreliae in fetal tissues were cultivated or proven immunohistochemically, by indirect imunofluorescence or by PCR. Serological and epidemiological studies focused on congenital malformations did not demonstrate the association between Lyme borreliosis during pregnancy and congenital failure. Our own study of 21 newborns and infants of mothers who were treated for Lyme borreliosis during pregnancy showed only 7 cases of transferred IgG antibodies and no malformations. Despite the documented cases with transplacentally acquired borreliae, conclusive evidence of inflammatory changes in affected fetal tissues or evidence of immunologic reaction does not exist. |