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Are you still struggling with chronic symptoms of Lyme disease after treatment? You aren’t the only one – and there may be two underutilized components to help recover from Lyme disease: C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT). 

CRP, a marker of inflammation, may have important information regarding how you are specifically handling Lyme infection. Likewise, SOT, an advanced genetic therapy, is a novel agent recently used by physicians interested in treating chronic infections at the cellular level. 

In this blog we will discuss CRP and SOT, and how they both potentially help guide and augment your opportunity to heal from Lyme disease.

What Is C-Reactive Protein and Why Should Lyme Patients Care?

C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is known as an inflammatory protein when produced by the liver as an acute-phase reactant and part of the immune system's acute phase immune response. It can easily be detected in a blood test and is a general marker of inflammation (but not disease specific). 

For Lyme disease patients, CRP can be very relevant. When Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria infect the human body, there can be significant systemic inflammation that goes along with it, at which point CRP generally becomes elevated.

CRP has the potential to assist in providing evidence of inflammation over the course of treatment, assessment of how well therapies are working, as well as may uncover suspected or hidden co-infections and/or immune activity that are ongoing.

High CRP is also possible even if Lyme tests are negative, to indicate that chronic resides in the body.

How Do CRP Levels Reflect the Severity of Lyme Disease

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You might be wondering if CRP levels truly indicate the severity of Lyme disease. CRP is not specific to Lyme disease, but elevated CRP levels are usually associated with worsening symptoms or systemic complications such as neuroinflammation, joint pain, Lyme carditis, or co-infections involving organisms like Bartonella and Babesia. 

Studies even showed that during an acute Lyme infection people had higher levels of CRP than people in remission, while in chronic Lyme or populations with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), CRP may be slightly elevated due to ongoing immune dysfunction. 

Although CRP cannot be used to diagnose Lyme disease, it provides a valuable look into the inflammatory state of your body and possibly track the severity or progression of disease.

What Is SOT Therapy and How Is It Being Used For Lyme Disease?

Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT) is a novel genetic treatment, initiated as a cancer treatment, it is now being studied for chronic, persistent infections like Lyme disease. 

SOT utilizes synthetic strands of nucleotides that directly bind to the messenger RNA (mRNA) of the Borrelia bacteria - the pathogen responsible for Lyme disease - thereby silencing the pathogen's ability to replicate. 

It is an exciting new approach that avoids traditional antibiotics relying on synthetic pharmaceutical nucleotides that exact a narrow and precise treatment plan. SOT is given intravenously and can be developed specifically to a profile of the patient's infection, so it will be targeted. 

SOT does not contribute to antibiotic resistance, it supports the immune system instead of limiting it, and it is a minimally invasive therapy. SOT is a new way forward for those suffering from persistent or antibiotic-resistant Lyme disease.

Is There Scientific Evidence Behind SOT Therapy for Lyme Disease?

SOT therapy for Lyme disease is still considered experimental, and there is limited scientific evidence right now beyond limited early clinical experiences and patient narratives.

  • Early experiences and patient testimonials indicate that SOT is promising; some patients reported that within a few weeks of starting SOT they noticed significant relief from symptoms, like reduced fatigue, brain fog, and less chronic pain and inflammation.
  • The practitioners found lower bacterial load as tested by follow-up testing. SOT is routinely used alongside other supportive therapies, including detox protocols to remove toxins, immune system support, and nutrition.
  • SOT is based on the well-known principles of RNA interference (RNAi) and antisense technology, so it seems reasonable to use based upon the theory.

How Do CRP and SOT Work Together in Lyme Recovery?

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CRP (C-reactive protein) and SOT (Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy) may synergistically be fundamental to recover from Lyme disease. Elevated CRP levels indicate inflammation present due to ongoing or past infection. 

SOT works in part by silencing the replication of Borrelia, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, which eventually may lessen the source of the inflammation. As the bacterial burden decreases, CRP levels may also begin to decrease, indicating a reduction in systemic inflammation. 

Measuring CRP before and after SOT could potentially identify changes in inflammation that have correlating therapeutic effects as well as guiding any follow up treatment modifications. 

Some integrated clinics measure CRP levels as a component of evaluating patient readiness for SOT treatments, which helps minimize a risk for abnormal immune reactions, by decreasing exposure to immune modulated treatments.

Final Thought

CRP and SOT may play a vital role in your recovery from Lyme disease. CRP can provide information on your body's inflammatory status, while SOT functions at the genetic level of the original infection.

  • Taken together, CRP and SOT can potentially help optimize treatment, personalize treatment options, determine your progress, and perhaps mitigate stubborn ongoing symptoms.
  • While SOT is a new technology, it seems to have an effective precision and supportive mechanism that offers great potential. 

Reference

  1. Uhde, M., Ajamian, M., Li, X., Wormser, G. P., Marques, A., & Alaedini, A. (2016). Expression of C-Reactive Protein and Serum Amyloid A in Early to Late Manifestations of Lyme Disease. Clinical Infectious Diseases: An Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 63(11), 1399. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciw599
  2. Apostolou P, Iliopoulos A, Beis G, Papasotiriou I. Supportive oligonucleotide therapy (SOT) as a potential treatment for viral infections and Lyme Disease: preliminary results. Infectious Disease Reports [Internet]. 2022 Nov 3;14(6):824–36. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/idr14060084
  3. Projectlymeadmin. Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy (SOT) for Lyme - Project LYME [Internet]. Project Lyme. 2022. Available from: https://projectlyme.org/supportive-oligonucleotide-therapy-sot-for-lyme/
  4. Berghoff W. Chronic Lyme disease and co-infections: differential diagnosis. The Open Neurology Journal [Internet]. 2012 Dec 28;6(1):158–78. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2174/1874205x01206010158
  5. Coleman F. What are supportive oligonucleotide therapies? A doctor questions their actual effectiveness. Study Finds [Internet]. 2024 Jul 24; Available from: https://studyfinds.org/supportive-oligonucleotide-therapies/
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Sophia Williams

Health & Wellness Content Strategist

Sophia Williams is a passionate content writer specializing in health and wellness and is deeply interested in chronic conditions like Lyme disease. With years of experience in creating educational and empathetic content, I aim to raise awareness and provide valuable insights that empower readers to take charge of their health.