Chronic Lyme Disease: A Working Case Definition

[Martian]

Note: in June 2017 it was discovered that this study was removed from the website austinpublishinggroup.com because of legal issues. See replies to this topic for more info about this.

I have disabled the links to the publication as they are no longer valid.


Source: http://austinpublishinggroup.com/chronic-diseases/download.php?file=fulltext/chronicdiseases-v4-id1025.pdf [PDF-alert]

Chronic Dis Int - Volume 4 Issue 1 - 2017
ISSN 2379-7983 | http://www.austinpublishinggroup.com

Research Article

Chronic Lyme Disease: A Working Case Definition

Stricker RB* and Fesler MC

International Lyme & Associated Diseases Society, Bethesda, MD; Union Square Medical Associates, San Francisco, CA, USA

*Corresponding author: Raphael B. Stricker, Union Square Medical Associates, 450 Sutter Street, Suite 1504, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA

Received: April 07, 2017; Accepted: April 25, 2017; Published: May 03, 2017

Abstract

Although Lyme disease is the most common tickborne illness in the USA and Eurasia, the pathophysiology and clinical course of chronic Lyme disease (CLD) have not been formally defined. The purpose of this paper is to present a working case definition of CLD based on analysis of more than 700 peerreviewed publications. According to this definition, CLD is a multisystem illness with diverse musculoskeletal, neuropsychiatric and/or cardiovascular manifestations that result from ongoing infection with pathogenic members of the Borrelia spirochete complex often associated with other tickborne disease (TBD) pathogens. To qualify for the diagnosis of CLD, patients must have Lymecompatible symptoms and signs that are either consistently or variably present for six or more months. Two subcategories of CLD include untreated chronic Lyme disease (CLD-U) and chronic Lyme disease following a limited course of antibiotic treatment (CLD-T). The symptom patterns and optimal therapy of CLD require further study.

Keywords: Lyme disease; Borrelia burgdorferi; Tickborne disease; Chronic infection

Appendix-A: Peer-Reviewed Evidence of Persistence of Lyme Disease Spirochete Borrelia Burgdorferi and Other Tickborne Diseases:
http://austinpublishinggroup.com/chronic-diseases/fulltext/chronicdiseases-v4-id1025-Appendix-A.docx

Appendix-B: Studies used for identification of symptoms and signs in CLD:
http://austinpublishinggroup.com/chronic-diseases/fulltext/chronicdiseases-v4-id1025-Appendix-B.docx


Also see LNE topic: Chronic Lyme Disease: a Case Definition at Last.


Edit 20170627-1433: added note at the top of this message.

[Henry]

Another example of unethical behavior by Stricker, in this case plagiarism. The absurd model he proposes is not new. It was "created" several years ago by Richard Horowitz and is expanded ad naseum in Horowitz's latest book now being hawked on Amazon as "the greatest thing since sliced bread". Unfortunately, Stricker does not even mention Horowitz let alone cite his "theories" in this "seminal" publication in an albeit second-rate pay-to-publish open access journal from the Austin Publishing Group. Tsk, tsk. An examination of the editorial board of this journal for infectious diseases reveals not a single person with any publications -- let alone expertise-- in research on Lyme disease. So much for "rigorous peer review" of nonsense like this. Only a fool would take this stuff seriously.....One could get better advice by asking "the man on the street".

[Henry]

Listen to what Horowitz has to say: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rob6IdA4YCM . Then, compare the "sorcerer" to "the sorcerer's apprentice".

[Henry]

It should be noted that the publication by Stricker and Fesler has just been "removed" from the journal's website. Why has this happened? Was there something wrong with the "science"? Were there major flaws?

[Martian]

Hmm, I have search and can't find any mention of the study on austinpublishinggroup.com any more.

I just sent them a message asking what happened to the study.

[Henry]

I too sent them a message and received no response. I find all of this to be rather strange and unusual -- to say the least.
I wonder if there really is an issue with using Horowitz's ideas without attribution, i.e., plagiarism?

[Martian]

Yesterday I received an answer from Austin Publishing Group:

We have removed the manuscript permanently from the website as there is a legal issue involved in publishing this work.

[admin]

Moved topic from Published Studies to Medical Topics.

Reason: the study has been retracted, so it's not a published study any more.