ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, SPIROCHETES—A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP

Abstract

Various spirochetes, in an analogous way to Treponema pallidum, are involved in the pathogenesis of several chronic disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease and various periodontal pathogen Treponemes (T. denticola, T. pectinovorum, T. amylovorum, T. maltophilum, T. medium, T. socranskii) persist in the brain and cause dementia and beta amyloid deposition. Spirochetes are able to reproduce in vitro and in vivo all the pathological and biological hallmarks defining AD. A strong statistically significant association between spirochetes and Alzheimer’s disease fulfills Hill’s criteria and confirm a causal relationship. Validation of these observations by historic and recent reports further confirm that senile plaques are made up by spirochetes and correspond to biofilms. That host pathogen interactions in chronic spirochetal infection are identical to those occurring in AD indicates that escaping host immune reactions, spirochetes sustain chronic infection and cause dementia and amyloid deposition and that Alzheimer’s dementia might be prevented.