# LYME ARTHRITIS--A NEW EPIDEMIC DISEASE

> **NIH NIH R01** · TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER · 1992 · $264,972

## Abstract

Lyme disease, which affects both children and adults, is caused by the
tickborne spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi.  The illness usually begins
with a characteristic skin lesion, erythema migrans, and may be followed
by myocarditis, meningitis, cranial neuritis, radiculoneuritis, or
arthritis.  Years later, patients may develop chronic arthritis,
encephalopathy/polyneuropathy, or acrodermatitis.  Diagnosis has been
complicated by the lack of specificity of serologic testing, and
treatment failure has occurred at each stage of the illness.

The work in this grant covers the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and
treatment of this complex, multisystem disorder.  During the next
granting period, in studies pertaining to the clinical description of the
disorder, the type and frequency of late manifestations of Lyme disease
will be determined by the long-term followup of patients entered into our
previous studies of this illness.  The late, chronic neurologic
manifestations of Lyme disease will be detailed; diagnostic criteria will
be developed for these manifestations of the illness; and immunogenetic
profiles will be determined in these patients.  The post Lyme disease
syndrome will be described.  In treatment studies, the efficacy of
intravenous treatment regimens will be determined for chronic neurologic
manifestations of Lyme disease.  The efficacy of oral antibiotic regimens
for children and adults with Lyme arthritis will be ascertained, and the
role of host factors will be determined among those who fail to respond.
The efficacy of doxycycline, amoxicillin/probenecid, and azithromycin
will be compared for the treatment of early Lyme disease.  In an effort
to improve diagnosis, criteria for seropositivity by Western blotting
will be determined for each stage of the illness.  A B. burgdorferi
expression library will be made in an effort to produce a group or
recombinant proteins that are specific for this infection.  Finally, a
T-cell proliferative assay, Western blotting, and an immune complex assay
will be tested for their diagnostic value in patients who are
seronegative by ELISA.  This work will help to solve the current problem
areas in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3155112
- **Project number:** 2R01AR020358-17
- **Recipient organization:** TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MY2ERHGDV956
- **Principal Investigator:** ALLEN C STEERE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1992
- **Award amount:** $264,972
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1987-07-01 → 1996-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3155112

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3155112, LYME ARTHRITIS--A NEW EPIDEMIC DISEASE (2R01AR020358-17). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3155112. Licensed CC0.

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