From the post above (earlier in this thread):
Henry:
Two quotes:
Borrelia don't really have a rigid cell wall like gram positive bacteria; however, they do have a membrane component that gives it some rigidity and its spiral shape. The synthesis of this somewhat rigid cell membrane component is adversely effected by antibiotic therapy, which then results in the development of these various amorphous shapes. In the 1950s when all of this was first described, such forms were called spheroplasts,or protoplasts, or L-forms -- not cysts which are entirely different matter all together. They are not part of the natural growth cycle of Borrelia which reproduce by binary fission as do all other bacteria; rather, these amorphous products are really dead or dying cells that will soon disappear.
http://lymerick.net/1998-Brorson.htmSo, that is the true story about these "cyst form". They are not formed by Borrelia in the absence of antibiotics and have not been demonstrated to be infectious or to have clinical significance.
From the link above:
Two quotes:
Brorson's observation in this paper, that it takes old cysts 4 weeks to convert to as many as 5 mobile spirochetes per cyst, may thus explain the clinically observed 4- week CYCLICITY in Lyme borreliosis (LB) - as well as the observed RELATIVE RESISTANCE to beta-laktam antibiotics, and SERONEGATIVITY !! - and it also explains the clinical observation, that in early LB of only 1-3 weeks duration (only young cysts), shorter antibiotic courses of 10-14 days duration may just about be effective in preventing relapses, while antibiotic treatment of late LB (old cysts) teoretically must be of at least 4 weeks duration, because one must treat long enough for all the oldest cysts to convert back to spirochetes and build their cell walls and thus be susceptible to a beta-laktam-antibiotic!!
Old cystic forms of B. burgdorferi require prolonged cultivation to convert to normal mobile spirochetes (4 weeks as opposed to 9 days for young cysts).
