Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi DNA (B garinii or B afzelii) in morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus tissues of German and Japanese but not of US patients
H. Fujiwara, K. Fujiwara, K. Hashimoto, A. H. Mehregan, G. Schaumburg-Lever, R. Lange, C. Schempp and H. Gollnick
Department of Dermatology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the geographic and genospecific association of
Borrelia with morphea and lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA). DESIGN: The
association of Borrelia burgdorferi with morphea and LSA has been reported,
but is still controversial. We conducted a retrospective survey of Borrelia
DNA in skin biopsy specimens. SETTINGS: The samples were collected from the
outpatient clinic of university hospitals and a dermatopathology
laboratory. PATIENTS: Skin biopsy specimens (19 morphea and 34 LSA) were
obtained from patients in the United States, Japan, and Germany. DNA
samples were subjected to amplification with polymerase chain reaction for
B burgdorferi flagellin gene, and for the genotype-specific detection of B
burgdorferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia afzelii. RESULTS:
Five cases of morphea and 2 cases of LSA in Germany and Japan yielded
positive signals for B garinii or B afzelii, the European species. None of
the American samples were positive for Borrelia polymerase chain reaction.
Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto was not detected in any of the
specimens. CONCLUSION: Morphea and LSA in Germany and Japan can be related
with European genotypes of Borrelia.
