ANTIBIOTICS AND INCREASED TEMPERATURE AGAINST BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI IN-VITRO

In 1917, spirochaetal neurosyphilis was treated successfully with mala riotherapy in combination with salvarsan or bismuth, Malariotherapy fo r spirochaetal Lyme disease has been discussed, but the mechanism of a n antispirochaetal effect remains unclear, We cultured Borrelia burgdo rferi at different temperatures, alone and in combination with antibio tics, Our data demonstrate that growth of the strains PKo and ATCC 352 10 (B31) was impaired at temperatures of 37 degrees C and inhibited at 39 degrees C and 40 degrees C, respectively, Strain ATCC 35211, howev er, grew well up to 39 degrees C but did not multiply at 40 degrees C, A bactericidal effect was seen at 41 degrees C for the strains B31 an d PKo and at 42 degrees C for all strains, The susceptibility of all s trains to penicillin and ceftriaxone was increased up to 16-fold by an elevation of temperature from 36 degrees C to 38 degrees C, These in vitro data suggest that elevated body temperature may be beneficial du ring antimicrobial treatment of Lyme disease, This may be particularly important in tissues where high concentrations of antibiotics are dif ficult to achieve.