Metabolic Profiling of Borrelia in Ticks and in Whole Blood Samples by Headspace Gas Chromatography - A Case Report

Abstract

The technique of static headspace gas chromatography (HS-GC) was applied to monitor the emission of hydrogen and carbon dioxide from bacterial cultures to detect bacterial contamination in ticks and the transfer to humans, causing Lyme borreliosis. While the standard serological methods to recognize Lyme-disease rely upon the indirect determination of antibodies, the present method enables the direct proof of bacteria both in ticks and in the blood of infected patients, due to the specific hydrogen emission. Moreover, the progress of an applied therapy can be monitored while antibodies, once created, remain in the blood regardless of whether the applied therapy was successfully finished or not. This method was also used to compare the efficacy of chemical and natural antibiotics. The most efficient natural antibiotics found were oil of cloves and garlic extract preparations. It was found that the duration of a successful therapy with chemical and natural antibiotics varied but can be perfectly monitored by the gas chromatographic technique.

Monitoring of Hydrogen Emission from Bacteria in Food, Animals and in the Blood of Humans Suffering from Lyme Disease by A Specific Hydrogen Sensor

“…However, the bacteria may have migrated into hidden parts as an immobile stationary phase and can change back to the motile helical form. Such a re-growth was described [ 7 ] from a patient who was first cured of Lyme disease by the standard doxycyclin therapy, but H 2 was emitted again by Borrelia+ after a virus infection, probably due to the weakened immune system, but could then be cured by the garlic therapy.…”

“…3), as shown by the missing H 2 peak and the negative sensor signal (−). Oil of cloves was already found as a very effective natural antibiotic [ 7 , 12 ]. Normal air in the vials prevented the generation and emission of H 2 by obligate anaerobes due to the presence of oxygen (no.…”

“…Such an application by HS-GC for proving bacterial contamination in vegetables, animal food and medical specimens has been described [ 6 ]. In addition, the contamination of ticks by Borrelia and their transfer to humans causing Lyme disease [ 7 ] has been investigated. Gas chromatography is an efficient technique to separate various components in a complex mixture, but if a single compound only should be detected, a specific sensor may be sufficient.…”

“…Again, the H 2 sensor approach does not enable the identification of a single species, such as the responsible Borrelia burgdorferi and the various Borrelia species and subspecies, but has the advantage that the H 2 response comprises the whole complex of co-infection by microbes with similar pathogenic characteristics, because Lyme disease is always associated with multiple microbes [ 9 ]. The complex mixtures of all those responsible pathogens have been summarized as Borreliella [ 7 , 10 ], but since this is controversially discussed [ 11 ] this complex mixture of all possible co-infections should therefore be described here as Borrelia +. The list of possible coinfections includes Chlamydia , Bartonella , Mycoplasma , Babesia , Anaplasma , Ehrlichia , Rickettsia and several more.…”

Microbes in Our Food, an Ongoing Problem with New Solutions

“…This group of researchers has a background of similar research, utilizing headspace gas chromatography to monitor hydrogen and carbon dioxide for the purpose of determining efficacy of anti-microbials [28]. The same technique of headspace gas chromatography was used to metabolically profile Borrelia in blood [29]. Overall, the techniques by this research group aim at testing efficacy of anti-microbials.…”