Sequential antimicrobial therapy with ceftriaxone and doxycycline led to complete clinical recovery, with Horowitz Questionnaire Score decreasing from 47 to 18 and Karnofsky Performance Status increasing from 70 to 100.
Case Report (n=1)
No
Does sequential antimicrobial therapy (ceftriaxone followed by doxycycline) improve clinical and immunologic outcomes in a patient with probable Borrelia-associated inflammatory cardiomyopathy?
This case illustrates probable Borrelia-associated inflammatory cardiomyopathy with full resolution following early antimicrobial therapy, highlighting the value of integrated serologic and immune-signature profiling.
Tick-associated illnesses are increasingly recognised in Australia, yet the epidemiology and clinical manifestations of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato remain uncertain in the absence of confirmed local isolates and reliance on diagnostics validated for European and North American strains. These limitations complicate interpretation and may contribute to delayed recognition of systemic manifestations, with potential progression to Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed to Ticks (DSCATT). We describe a case consistent with European-profile Borrelia infection presenting with early inflammatory myocarditis evolving to mild cardiomyopathy and complete clinical and immunologic recovery after antimicrobial therapy. The patient had recent travel to tick-endemic regions of Scandinavia (Denmark and Sweden) in mid-July 2022 and subsequently developed symptoms following reported tick exposure at North Head, Sydney. Symptom onset occurred on 16 August 2022. The first serology, which was reactive, was obtained 13 weeks after symptom onset and demonstrated broad IgG reactivity (VlsE variants, OspC, p58, p39), fulfilling CDC two-tier and EUCALB immunoblot criteria for disseminated Borrelia infection. Whole-blood multiplex PCR was negative. Treatment comprised 28 days of intravenous ceftriaxone followed by 12 weeks of doxycycline. Immune-mediator profiling identified an early pro-inflammatory signature (IL-6, TNF- α , IFN- γ ) with concurrent lymphoid activation (TNF- β ) and prominent endothelial activation (fractalkine), followed by a dominant reparative vascular profile characterised by PDGF-AA, EGF, and sCD40L. Clinical indices improved substantially, with Horowitz Questionnaire Score decreasing from 47 to 18 and Karnofsky Performance Status increasing from 70 to 100 by Month 12. Serologic contraction and immune normalisation paralleled clinical recovery. Immune-cell kinetics aligned with cytokine-defined cluster transitions (B1/B3 inflammatory activation to B2/H vascular-repair programming), with early redistribution and reduced circulating B cells and NK cells followed by recovery to low-normal ranges by 12–24 months. At the systemic level, leukocyte counts showed early leukocytosis, mid-course suppression during stromal–vascular repair, and complete normalisation, consistent with immune containment without persistent inflammation. The mature serologic and immunologic profile does not distinguish between infection acquired during European travel or subsequent Sydney exposure, and local transmission cannot be inferred. This case illustrates probable Borrelia -associated inflammatory cardiomyopathy with full resolution and highlights the value of integrated serologic and immune-signature profiling in complex tick-associated presentations.
Mitsakos et al. (Wed,) conducted a case report in Probable Borrelia-associated myocarditis (n=1). Ceftriaxone followed by doxycycline was evaluated on Clinical and immunologic recovery. Sequential antimicrobial therapy with ceftriaxone and doxycycline led to complete clinical recovery, with Horowitz Questionnaire Score decreasing from 47 to 18 and Karnofsky Performance Status increasing from 70 to 100.