Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Thursday 17 augusT 2017

Is it really Lyme? Researchers developing a new test to tell

By LAURAN NEERGAARD Using carefully stored blood
AP Medical Writer samples from people deter-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Diag- mined to have either Lyme
nosing if a tick bite caused or STARI, Belisle and Mo-
Lyme or another disease lins found biomarkers that
can be difficult but scien- could tell the two disease
tists are developing a new apart. Using those markers
way to do it early — using a to study additional blood
“signature” of molecules in samples, they concluded
patients’ blood. their tool was 82 percent
It’s still highly experimental, accurate in determining
but initial studies suggest early Lyme — far better
the novel tool just might than today’s standard, Mo-
uncover early-stage Lyme lins said.The research was
disease more accurately published in the journal Sci-
than today’s standard ence Translational Medi-
test, researchers reported cine.
Wednesday. And it could “It is a very novel way of
tell the difference between looking at diagnosis,” said
two tick-borne diseases Dr. John Aucott, who di-
with nearly identical early rects Johns Hopkins Univer-
symptoms. “Think about it sity’s Lyme Disease Clinical
as looking at a fingerprint,” In this undated photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a Research Center. He was
said microbiology profes- blacklegged tick - also known as a deer tick. not involved in the new
sor John Belisle of Colo- Associated Press study, and notes that other
rado State University, who Yet today’s best available gap.” similar symptoms? To tell, test approaches are being
helped lead the research. test often misses early Lyme. The new approach essen- they compared a mysteri- explored, too.
Lyme disease is estimated to It’s considered no more tially looks for a biochemi- ous Lyme look-alike called Creating a test will take
infect 300,000 people in the than 40 percent accurate cal fingerprint that shows Southern Tick-Associated several more years of re-
U.S. every year. Lyme-caus- in the first few weeks of in- the body is beginning to re- Rash Illness, or STARI. search, cautioned Molins.
ing bacteria are spread by fection. It measures infec- spond to an infection, long STARI is spread by a dif- First, the team is turning its
blacklegged ticks — also tion-fighting antibodies the before antibodies mobilize. ferent tick, the Lone Star sophisticated metabolic-
called deer ticks — primari- immune system produces. It’s based on cellular me- tick that is found widely measuring techniques into
ly in the Northeast and Mid- Those take a while to form, tabolism, subtle changes throughout the East and a test that standard labora-
west, although their range making the test more use- in the kind and amount of Southeast, areas that over- tories could use. Then, with
is spreading. Lyme typically ful a month or more after small molecules that cells lap with the Lyme-carrying next spring’s tick season,
starts as a fever, fatigue infection sets in than when produce, such as sugars blacklegged ticks. STARI researchers will start a new
and flu-like symptoms — people first start feeling ill. and amino acids and fats. involves a round rash and round of testing.
often but not always with “We are trying our best to First, Belisle and Molins other symptoms similar to Hopkins’ Aucott cautions
a hallmark bulls-eye rash come up with something found a signature — specif- early Lyme, and is treated that other infections unre-
— and people usually re- to help the diagnosis in ic changes in those metab- with the same antibiotic — lated to ticks can be con-
cover quickly with prompt the very early stages of olites — that enabled them but it’s not caused by the fused with Lyme, too, so
antibiotics. But untreated, this infection,” said micro- to distinguish between same bacteria. In fact, sci- any new test also would
Lyme causes more serious biologist Claudia Molins blood from Lyme patients entists don’t yet know the have to rule out those pos-
complications, including of the Centers for Disease and from healthy people. cause of STARI, and there’s sibilities. “If you can show
swollen joints and arthritis, Control and Prevention, The tougher hurdle: Could no test for it. The only way the host metabolic signa-
memory and concentra- who teamed with Belisle to the tool also tell the dif- to identify STARI is to de- ture goes back to normal,
tion problems, even irregu- develop a new test. “Our ference between Lyme finitively rule out other ail- that could be a great test
lar heartbeat. goal really is to try to fill that and a disease with very ments. of cure,” he said.q