Lyme and osteoarthritis?

In the past couple of months, I've started having joint pain in my fingers (and, to a lesser degree, my toes). Last month, I noticed that my finger joints were suddenly noticeably larger, such that I could no longer wear rings that used to slide on easily. My rheumatologist noted that the swelling was hard, rather than the "boggy" swelling that she'd expect with, say, rheumatoid arthritis.

I had an ultrasound that showed both synovial inflammation (a sign of some kind of inflammatory/autoimmune arthritis process) and signs of osteoarthritis in my thumbs. Although the ultrasound report didn't specifically note osteoarthritis in the finger joints where I have the most pain and swelling, those joints seem consistent with osteoarthritis as well. (The top and middle finger joints are often affected by osteoarthritis.)

I'm 45, which seems young for osteoarthritis. I am fit and (until recently) healthy and don't seem to have risk factors for osteoarthritis. So I'm kind of freaked out by this. The fact that it came on so suddenly (with the swelling appearing almost overnight) seems strange to me -- and it makes me worry that it's going to get much worse very quickly.

Is it possible that Lyme could trigger something like this? I mean, I know Lyme can cause arthritis-lilke symptoms, but I was under the impression that it was more like inflammatory arthritis (with swelling and fluid in the joints) than osteoarthritis (where bone spurs, etc. develop). But the fact that the osteoarthritis came on so suddenly makes me wonder if it's Lyme-related.

I had/have 'symptoms' of arthritis in many joints - my finger symptoms came on part way through treatment - I think it was bartonella.
I would wake up in the night...and my hands would be clenched...and stiff. I would pry my fingers apart...and they were so sore.

That lasted several months...and then slowly got better with continued treatment.
I never had any imaging done...I just assumed it was lyme/bart...etc.

They only bother me occasionally first thing in the morning now.

Like most autoimmune issues, RA has antibodies associated with it. This should be tested, if not already.
It would be good to know if this has not developed.

LilyPanda,
I just got this article in my email and immediately thought of our conversation here. I thought it may be helpful for you to see: /www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/missing-link-identified-between-the-immune-system-and-lyme-arthritis-297226

"Scientists at University of Utah Health believe they identified a mechanism that activates T cells, a key component of the immune system, which could explain the elusive link between a tick bite and persistent Lyme arthritis. The results are published online in the February 5th issue of The Journal of Immunology.


“We believe that in this model persistent Lyme arthritis is a result of [overactive] immune response,” said the study’s first author Sarah Whiteside, a graduate student in Janis Weis’s lab at U of U Health.


The researchers identified a receptor on T cells that interacts with molecules on the surface of B. burgdorferi. Like a key fitting into a lock, the receptors join in a process resulting in bystander activation. This activation mechanism triggers the T cell to produce inflammatory molecules that accumulate around the joints and contribute to inflammation and arthritis.


Some of the newly ‘turned-on’ T cells can interact with residual bacteria that persists long after the initial tick bite, producing a cascading cycle of inflammation that could lead to infection-induced autoimmunity.


“Through bystander activation, a whole repertoire of T cells may be activated, independent of their specificity for infecting pathogens,” said Weis, Ph.D., professor of Pathology at U of U Health.


Whiteside cautions the exact mechanism of T cell activation needs clarification, but the results from this study suggest new therapeutic approaches, such as focusing on anti-inflammatory mechanisms, might be more effective for patients with persistent Lyme arthritis.


“If you can suppress T cell activation for the short-term, we might help re-establish the control mechanism [for the immune response] in the body,” said Weis.


In addition to new therapies, future studies may focus on the broader implications of bystander activation for other pathogen-induced and autoimmune diseases."

While this is new research and we must wait for this to not only be verified and duplicated before we take this information and 'run with it' - it's another possible explanation for what's going on for both of us.