Background: Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States, but other diseases transmitted by ticks have also been on the rise in recent years. Early symptoms of a tickborne disease include fever, headache, fatigue and possible rash. Researchers want to collect information and samples from people with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses to better understand and diagnose these diseases. Objective: To evaluate and follow people with tick-borne diseases to help researchers learn more about these infections. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older who have or are suspected of having a tick-borne infection. Design: Participants will have an initial visit, and visits about 1, 6, and 12 months later. The visits can include a physical exam, blood tests, collection of blood, urine and saliva samples for research, and filling out health-related questionnaires. Participants who have the rash of Lyme disease may be invited to have up to 3 skin punch biopsies of the rash for research.
Lyme disease is a multisystem illness caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and it is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. Tick-borne disease cases reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been on the rise with over 59,000 cases reported in 2017. This protocol is designed to collaborate with University of Maryland School of Medicine for the purpose of recruiting and enrolling patients with Lyme disease and other tickborne illnesses. This is a natural history study which has the objective of developing a rigorously defined population of patients with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, per CDC case definitions, to serve as the basis for research in multiple aspects of the infections. These research sub-projects have emphasis in exploring the biological markers of tick-borne infections, developing new diagnostic tests for these infections, assessing the clinical course and outcome of patients with these tick-borne infections, and defining the immunological response to the pathogens.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
University of Maryland Baltimore, Department of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Define percentage of participants with suspected, probable, or confirmed TBD, as defined by the CDC case definitions and TBD testing, and measure clinical outcome using established assessment tools and questionnaires.
Identify type of tick-borne disease and clinical outcome.
Time frame: Assessed annually.
Utilize current and future technologies to develop new direct and indirect tests and biomarkers for TBDs. These can include, but not limited to, antibody-based testing, antigen-based testing, molecular-based testing, culture.
Will use samples for developing novel diagnostic testing.
Time frame: Ongoing
Evaluation of the immune response to the pathogens. These can include, but are not limited to, cytokine testing, cellular response testing, antibody profile, metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and others.
Will use samples to explore human immune response to TBDs.
Time frame: Ongoing
Genomic-based testing for research on pathogen virulence and mutations.
Will use samples to explore pathogen.
Time frame: Ongoing
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