Intracellular pathogens and chronic infections

At NL-Lab, we conduct research into bacteria that entrench themselves inside white blood cells.

These so-called intracellular pathogens can chronic inflammation and infections and can lead to long-lasting, vague symptoms such as fatigue, loss of concentration, muscle pain, joint pain, and headaches.

The cause can vary. One of the most well-known is a tick bite and Lyme disease.

But we are capable of tracking down many more pathogens

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Pathogens that we can detect

NL-Lab has developed research methods to detect these pathogens in their 'hidden' form:

Anaplasma species
Babesia species
Bartonella species
Borrelia burgdorferi
Borrelia species
Chlamydia pneumoniae
Chlamydia trachomatis
Ehrlichia species
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Rickettsia species
Salmonella species
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus species
Streptococcus species

Chronic infections

A chronic infection often begins with an acute infection due to a variety of possible causes, ranging from a tick bite, a scratch from a cat, a wound, or a sore throat.

A chronic infectious disease progresses slowly and often involves prolonged periods of unclear symptoms. These symptoms can linger for months or years (e.g., tuberculosis).

Chronic infectious diseases are usually more difficult to diagnose than acute infections.

As a result, damage can accumulate significantly before long-term treatment is initiated.

White blood cells are programmed to fight inflammation. They eliminate all damaged or infected cells. Once the damage from this acute infection has been fought and the initial symptoms have passed, the white blood cells die off or return to doing what they did before: standing ready for new injury.

Chronic inflammation develops when the cause of the infection, such as a bacterium, manages to take hold within the white blood cell. Here, the bacterium can vegetate and eventually multiply without our immune system being able to do anything about it. After all, the pathogen resides within a part of the immune system: the white blood cell.

In this way, the pathogens are very difficult to trace and can spread throughout the body, causing vague symptoms such as fatigue, loss of concentration, muscle pain, joint pain and headaches.

Intracellular pathogens and chronic infections