Skip to main content

Table 4 Detection of Borrelia DNA by PCR in samples derived from Morgellons patients

From: Exploring the association between Morgellons disease and Lyme disease: identification of Borrelia burgdorferi in Morgellons disease patients

#

Specimen

PCR University of New Haven

PCR Australian Biologics

Sequencing

1

Whole callus

pyrG, fla, ospC

16S rRNA

pyrG, fla, ospC

2

Whole callus

pyrG, fla, 16S rRNA

16S rRNA

pyrG

3

Whole callus

fla, pyrG, 16S rRNA, uvrA, ospC

16S rRNA

16S RNA, pyrG, fla, uvrA, ospC

3

Blood culture

fla

  

4

Callus section

16S rRNA

  

4

Blood culture

fla

  

5

Whole callus

pyrG

16S rRNA

pyrG

6

Skin culture

16S rRNA

  

7

Blood culture

fla

  

8

Whole callus

pyrG, 16S rRNA, fla

 

pyrG, fla,

8

Blood culture

fla, pyrG

 

fla

9

Skin culture

fla

 

fla

10

Whole callus

16S rRNA, pyrG, fla

16S rRNA

16S rRNA, pyrG

10

Intestinal specimen

 

16S rRNA

 

11

Whole callus

fla+/- indeterminate

Inhibited

 

13

Whole callus

uvrA

 

uvrA

13

Blood culture

pyrG

16S rRNA

 

13

Skin culture

pyrG

  

14

Blood culture

fla

16S rRNA

fla

14

Vaginal culture

fla

16S rRNA

fla

15

Whole callus

 

16S rRNA

 

16

Whole callus

 

rpoC

rpoC

17

Whole callus

pyrG, uvrA

16S rRNA

pyrG, uvrA

17

Blood culture

Real-time 16S rRNA +/- equivocal

  

18

Whole callus

fla

16S rRNA

fla

21

Skin culture

 

16S rRNA +/- equivocal

 

23

Whole callus

 

16S rRNA

rpoC*

24

Blood culture

fla

16S rRNA

 

24

Vaginal culture

 

16S rRNA

rpoC**

  1. *Sequence consistent with B. miyamotoi.
  2. **Sequence consistent with B. garinii.
  3. Amplicon sequences from all patients were consistent with Bb sensu stricto except for sequence from patient 23, which was consistent with B. miyamotoi, and patient 24, which was consistent with B. garinii.