The role of Borrelia burgdorferi in interstitial cystitis

Background/Aims: Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete has been found both in bla dder biopsies and the urine of patients with Lyme disease (LD) as well as i n experimental animals. The urological symptoms in borreliosis resemble tho se of interstitial cystitis (IC): frequency, urgency and nocturia. The aim of this studies is to find the role of B. burgdorferi in interstitial cysti tis. Methods: We studied antibodies against B. burgdorferi from serum samples of 50 IC patients with two separate EIA tests. Patients with positive serolog y in both tests underwent cystoscopy and a bladder biopsy was taken. The pr esence of borrelia DNA was studied with borrelia-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and with universal bacterial PCR. Results: IgM class antibodies to B. burgdorferi were not found, but IgG ant ibodies were found in four samples (8%). This was higher than in the contro l material (2%), One patient's sample was strongly positive, whereas three samples were weakly positive. Bladder biopsies taken from the 4 patients we re negative for borrelia DNA in both PCR tests. None of the seropositive pa tients had any symptoms consistent with LD. Conclusion: These results indicate that persistent infection of B. burgdorf eri has no role in the etiology of IC. On the other hand a connection with a past borrelia infection and IC is not excluded. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Kar ger AG, Basel.