ROLE OF BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF MORPHEAL SCLERODERMA AND LICHEN-SCLEROSUS-ET-ATROPHICUS - A PCR STUDY OF 35 CASES/

Morphea (localized scleroderma), and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (L SA) share common features with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (AC A), a known chronic form of borreliosis. These include similar histolo gic findings such as diffuse dermal fibrosis. These observations have led several investigators to consider the possibility of Borrelia burg dorferi (Bb) as a common etiologic factor among all of these diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of Bb in the pathoge nesis of morphea and LSA, by assaying for its presence in lesional ski n biopsies from patients with these diseases. We utilized the nested p olymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique to selectively amplify a long er segment of a Bb-specific somatic gene, on DNA from paraffin-embedde d, formalin-fixed tissues. The results revealed no Bb-specific DNA seq uence in 28 specimens of morphea/scleroderma and 7 of LSA with varying stages of disease. Furthermore, confirmatory Southern blot of the PCR product, resulted in similar findings. These data seriously question the role played by this spirochete in the pathogenesis of morphea and LSA, at least in the southeastern part of the USA.