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Researcher Reveals Possible Lyme & Multiple Sclerosis Connection
by Kim Weber
From the Tick Talk - May/June 1997
Known for her work in pathology and her extensive research in cell wall
deficient bacteria, Lida H. Mattman, Ph.D., is rocking the medical community
with her discoveries in Lyme disease and Multiple Sclerosis. On May 6th in
Saginaw, Michigan, Mattman spoke to Lyme patients and medical professionals
who were captivated by her slides and
research findings on spirochetes. Behind her self-deprecating humor is a
dedicated researcher and pioneer in her field. Mattman, Professor Emeritus,
Dept. of Biology at Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) is also a mother
motivated by a daughter who was diagnosed with LD a few years ago. Since then,
Mattman has focused her attention on how to find a more reliable and
reproducible way of finding the infection - in culturing the spirochete from
blood samples. In the last year, she has found such a method; and in the
process, has also identified another spirochete that could be the causative
agent in Multiple Sclerosis. When asked at the meeting if MS is a spirochetal
disease like LD, Mattman replied with an unequivocal "yes". She went on to
show slides of the various diseases caused by different spirochetes -
including MS. Each disease was characterized by a variety of disfiguring and
debilitating symptoms - all of which, Mattman pointed out, were treatable with
appropriate antibiotics.
Dr. Mattman's new method of culturing the spirochete was featured at this
year's 10th Annual International Conference at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. Viewed
as one of the most important discoveries presented at the Poster Session,
Mattman's technique may be a new Gold Standard for determining spirochetal
infections and persistent disease. Although her findings are compelling,
Mattman feels she is up against skepticism in the medical community. Mattman
feels this harkens back to other big breakthroughs, such as developing the
vaccine for Whooping Cough and discovering the H. Pylori bacteria in ulcers.
Because these discoveries challenged previous medical doctrine, the doctors
were originally shunned for breaking away from "accepted facts". Mattman is
confident that it is only a matter of time before her research will be given
credibility.
In explaining why current testing for Lyme disease is unreliable, Mattman
referred to the blood test using immuno-fluorescence assay (IFA). Here, she
explains, the lab is looking for the antibody. It won't always be detected,
because the spirochete can "masquerade" in other forms that delude the immune
response. Mattman explained that the spirochete,
like other bacteria, is not always in its classic form - there is much
diversity in its appearance. This "diversity" in appearance is what is
known as the "L Form" of the bacteria (named after this research at Lister
Institute). In learning to recognize the "L Form" bacteria, Mattman has been
able to culture spirochetes abundantly and profusely. For now, Dr. Mattman
hopes the doctors will use a more reliable test other than IFA. She suggests
using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. This test picks up on the
actual DNA of the spirochete. Mattman's lab has also worked for the
University of Michigan, where she came face to face with L-forms of
Meningitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). She emphasized that these also can
be easily missed in the lab, because they are not always in the classic form
with a "suit and bow tie".
Pointing to the screen, Mattman announced that we were the first audience to
see a remarkable photo of Multiple Sclerosis spinal fluid mixed with red blood
cells The red blood cells on the screen were filled with many spirochetes that
were also seen emerging from the red blood cells. "We used to think that the
red blood cells mainly transported gases through the body - now we know
better," said Mattman. The spirochetes weren't only in the red blood cells,
they PREFER the red blood cells. With this observation, Mattman feels that
persistent infection could be attributed to the fact that antibiotics do not
easily penetrate the red blood cell to target the spirochete.
Now that Dr. Mattman has been able to culture the spirochete, she is focusing
on specific treatment. In recognizing that the spirochete can have numerous
strains, she hopes to use cultured spirochetes for antibiotic sensitivity
testing. This is already widely used for other bacterial infections. With this
procedure, Mattman could find which antibiotic would work best for the
individual patient. From a clinical perspective, this knowledge would give the
treating physician an important edge in prescribing an appropriate antibiotic.
Mattman concluded that Lyme disease is as endemic here as Malaria is in the
Tropics. She is convinced that, with the introduction of more reliable testing
for LD, the figures will more accurately reflect the prevalence of Lyme
disease.
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