Borrelia burgdorferi

A surface immunofluorescence assay (SIFA) using live spirochetes was analyzed and compared with Western blot (WB), fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS), microhemagglutination (MHA-TP), and Treponema pallidum immobilization (TPI) assays for detecting serum antibodies to T. pallidum in patients with syphilis, in disease controls, and in healthy subjects. SIFA and WB were 99% sensitive (99 of 100 positive specimens) and specific (140 of 140 negative specimens); FTA-ABS showed a sensitivity and a specificity of 90 and 89% (90 of 100 positive and 125 of 140 negative specimens), respectively. MHA-TP showed a sensitivity of 84% (84 of 100 positive specimens) and a specificity of 98.5% (138 of 140 negative specimens). Finally, TPI had a sensitivity of 52% (52 of 100 positive specimens) and a specificity of 100% (140 of 140 negative specimens). The T. pallidum SIFA was therefore highly specific, showing no equivocal reactivities with control sera, and sensitive. The results suggest the possible use of SIFA as a confirmatory test in the serologic diagnosis of syphilis.

Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis have been identified as causative organisms of reactive arthritis in humans. We evaluated a Western blot assay which uses Yersinia outer membrane proteins as antigens for the detection of Yersinia antibodies as a replacement for the complement fixation (CF) assay. Clinical agreement, sensitivity, and specificity were determined by testing 19 positive and 21 negative serum samples by the CF assay, Western blot assay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The CF assay and ELISA were compared to the Western blot assay, which was the reference method used in this study. Sera with antibodies that could potentially cross-react with Yersinia were also tested by the Western blot assay. The agreement, sensitivity, and specificity of the CF method were 61%, 26%, and 95%, respectively; and those for the ELISA were 89%, 95%, and 82%, respectively. The prevalences of Yersinia antibodies in 50 healthy donors were 6% for immunoglobul...

 Some patients with medically unexplained symptoms suspect or are told that they chronically suffer from the tick-borne infection Lyme disease. These patients are commonly targeted by providers of alternative therapies. This study was designed to identify and characterize the range of unorthodox alternative therapies advertised to patients with a diagnosis of Lyme disease.  Internet searches using the Google search engine were performed to identify the websites of clinics and services that marketed nonantimicrobial therapies for Lyme disease. We subsequently used the PubMed search engine to identify any scientific studies evaluating such treatments for Lyme disease. Websites were included in our review so long as they advertised a commercial, nonantimicrobial product or service that specifically mentioned utility for Lyme disease. Websites with patient testimonials (such as discussion groups) were excluded unless the testimonial appeared as marketing on a commercial site.  More than...

The purpose of this report is to offer a consensus opinion of ACVIM diplomates on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Borrelia burgdorferi infections in dogs (canine Lyme disease). Clinical syndromes known to commonly be associated with canine Lyme disease include polyarthritis and glomerulopathy. Serological test results can be used to document exposure to B. burgdorferi but not prove illness. Although serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay/indirect fluorescent antibody assay titers can stay positive for months to years after treatment, quantitative C6 peptide antibody paired tests need more study. Serological screening of healthy dogs is controversial because it can lead to overdiagnosis or overtreatment of normal dogs, most of which never develop Lyme disease. However, serological screening can provide seroprevalence and sentinel data and stimulate owner education about tick infections and control. Although it is unknown whether treatment of seropositive healthy dogs is beneficial, the consensus is that seropositive dogs should be evaluated for proteinuria and other coinfections and tick control prescribed. Tick control can include a product that repels or protects against tick attachment, thereby helping to prevent transmission of coinfections as well as Borrelia spp. Seropositive dogs with clinical abnormalities thought to arise from Lyme disease generally are treated with doxycycline (10 mg/kg q24h for 1 month). Proteinuric dogs might need longer treatment as well as medications and diets for protein-losing nephropathy. The ACVIM diplomates believe the use of Lyme vaccines still is controversial and most do not administer them. It is the consensus opinion that additional research is needed to study predictors of illness, "Lyme nephropathy," and coinfections in Lyme endemic areas.

Lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in Eurasia. Borrelia miyamotoi is the only known relapsing fever Borrelia group spirochete transmitted by Ixodes species. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Lyme Borrelia spp. and relapsing fever Borrelia spp. in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from dogs and the vegetation from different parts of Vojvodina, Serbia. A total of 71 Ixodes ricinus ticks were collected and screened for the presence of Lyme Borrelia spp. group and relapsing fever Borrelia spp. by real-time PCR for the Borrelia flagellin B (flaB) gene followed by DNA sequencing of PCR products. Species identification was verified by PCR of the outer surface protein A (ospA) gene for Lyme Disease Borrelia spp. and by PCR of the glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (glpQ) gene for relapsing fever Borrelia spp. Lyme Borrelia spp. were found in 15/71 (21.13%) of the ticks evaluated and included B. luisitaniae (11.3%), B. afzelii (7%), B. valaisiana (1.4%), and B. garinii (1.4%). Borrelia miyamotoi, from the relapsing fever Borrelia complex, was found, for the first time in Serbia, in one (1.4%) nymph collected from the environment. Co-infections between Borrelia species in ticks were not detected. These results suggest that the dominance of species within B. burgdorferi s.l. complex in I. ricinus ticks may vary over time and in different geographic regions. Further systematic studies of Borrelia species in vectors and reservoir hosts are needed to understand eco-epidemiology of these zoonotic infections and how to prevent human infection in the best way.

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States and is also endemic in Europe and Asia. It is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by the bite of the Ixodes (deer) tick. It occurs most frequently during spring and summer and may involve the skin, nervous system, heart, and joints. This article reviews the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease.

Objective. – The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in the Ivory Coast.Patients. – One hundred sixty-eight patients were split up into 3 groups. Group A (N =60) was made up of cattle farmers exposed to the tick’s bite due to their occupation. Group B (N =48) was made up of hospitalized patients in

In this study the raising and development of the immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi infection in 45 Italian patients suffering from culture-confirmed Lyme borreliosis erythema migrans was investigated. A total of 95 serially collected serum samples were tested by using three different commercial ELISAs: recomWell Borrelia (Mikrogen), Enzygnost Borreliosis (DADE Behring) and Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia (Immunetics). The sensitivities of the ELISAs were as follows: Enzygnost Borreliosis IgM, 70 . 5 %; Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia, 62 . 1 %; recomWell Borrelia IgM, 55 . 7 %; recomWell Borrelia IgG, 57 . 9 %; and Enzygnost Borreliosis IgG, 36 . 8 %. In order to compare the specificity values of the three ELISAs, a panel of sera obtained from blood donors (210 samples coming from a non-endemic area and 24 samples from an endemic area) was tested, as well as sera from patients suffering from some of the most common biological conditions that could result in false-positive reactivity in Lyme disease serology (n ¼ 40). RecomWell Borrelia IgG and recomWell Borrelia IgM were the most specific (97 . 1 % and 98 . 9 %, respectively), followed by Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia (96 . 7 %). Enzygnost Borreliosis IgG and IgM achieved 90 . 1 % and 92 . 3 % specificity, respectively. Sera that gave discrepant results when tested by the three ELISAs were further analysed by Western blotting.

hosts, the abundance of ticks and the proximity of man to natural tick habitats have led to an escalating worldwide incidence of Lyme borreliosis, and nonspecific clinical manifestations have yielded significant misunderstanding of the disease. After entry, B. burgdorferi activates local inflammation, yet evades host defences and facilitates dissemination by potentially masquerading with host components such as plasmin and complement. The extent of tissue injury is determined by the aggressiveness of host inflammation and immunological reactions, as well as by genetic attributes of the spirochaete. The clinical presentation can be highly varied, including early manifestations that are limited

Zusammenfassung. Vögel wurden wiederholt als Reservoir von Zecken-übertragenen Krankheitserregern identifiziert. Um die diesbezügliche Situation in der Slowakei zu untersuchen, wurden von 3057 mit Netzen gefangenen, ringmarkierten und dann wieder freigesetzten Sperlingsvögeln Zecken gesammelt. Die Fangorte in den Bukovské Vrchy Hügeln, einem Teil der Karpaten in der Nordost-Slowakei, lagen 500 m (im Jahr 2001) und 1000 m (im Jahr 2003) über dem Meeresniveau. Nur 75 Vögel, die 16 Arten angehörten, waren mit subadulten Zecken der Art Ixodes ricinus infestiert, was einer Parasitenprävalenz von 2,5% entspricht. Von 31 Vögeln (9 Arten) wurden 62 Larven und von 52 Vögeln (15 Arten) 80 Nymphen entfernt. Die Parasitierung war bei Amsel, Turdus merula, Singdrossel, T. philomelos, und Heckenbraunelle, Prunella modularis, am höchsten. Sechs adulte Ixodes ricinus-Zecken wurden von erwachsenen Personen entfernt, die mit den Vögeln arbeiteten und eine weibliche I. ricinus-Zecke von ihrem Hund. Die Zecken wurden mittels Polymerase Kettenreaktion auf Anwesenheit von Rickettsien, Coxiella burnetii, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato und Mitgliedern der Familien Anaplasmataceae und Piroplasmidae untersucht und die nachfolgende Identifizierung mittels Sequenzanalyse durchgeführt. Rickettsien wurden in einer Nymphe vom Rotkehlchen, Erithacus rubecula, und in drei adulten Zecken (2 weibliche, 1 männliche) von Menschen und vom Hund nachgewiesen. Eine Ehrlichia-ähnliche Art‚ die "Schotti variant", wurde in einer Nymphe einer Singdrossel nachgewiesen. Borrelia afzelii wurde in einer männlichen und B. garinii in einer weiblichen Zecke identifiziert, welche beide vom Menschen entfernt worden waren. Aufgrund der niedrigen Ausbeute bleibt die Rolle von Vögeln als Reservoir von Zecken-übertragenen Krankheitserregern weiterhin unklar.

Abstract. The cause, or causes, of the vast majority of Alzheimer’s disease cases are unknown. A number of contributing factors have been postulated, including infection. It has long been known that the spirochete Treponema pallidum, which is the infective agent for syphilis, can in its late stages cause dementia, chronic inflammation, cortical atrophy and amyloid deposition. Spirochetes of unidentified types

In Reply I agree with Dr Moyé's point that it is important that the business of research be a smaller proportion of the NIH dollars. But it cannot simply be that research institutions absorb more costs. The NIH too must try to streamline the paperwork and bureaucracy of actually receiving a grant and complying with all of its requirements. This would be consistent with President Obama's executive order to reduce the burden of regulations. 1 Mr Ma asserts NIH funding is such a small proportion of biomedical research funding that it is not responsible for much of the costly technology that drives up health care costs. If true, this claim would undermine the very argument to increase NIH funding. Assuming Ma's viewpoint, opponents of NIH funding could argue that because the NIH covers such a minor part of biomedical research funding overall, cutting it will not hinder the important progress of medicine. In other words, NIH funding could be cut without worrying that new discoveries will be foregone. This seems a terrible defense of NIH funding.

Ticks are often infected with more than one pathogen, and several field surveys have documented nonrandom levels of coinfection. Levels of coinfection by pathogens in four tick species were analyzed using published infection data. Coinfection patterns of pathogens in field-collected ticks include numerous cases of higher or lower levels of coinfection than would be expected due to chance alone, but the vast majority of these cases can be explained on the basis of vertebrate host associations of the pathogens, without invoking interactions between pathogens within ticks. Nevertheless, some studies have demonstrated antagonistic interactions, and some have suggested potential mutualisms, between pathogens in ticks. Negative or positive interactions between pathogens within ticks can affect pathogen prevalence, and thus transmission patterns. Probabilistic projections suggest that the effect on transmission depends on initial conditions. When the number of tick bites is relatively low (e.g., for ticks biting humans) changes in prevalence in ticks are predicted to have a commensurate effects on pathogen transmission. In contrast, when the number of tick bites is high (e.g., for wild animal hosts) changes in pathogen prevalence in ticks have relatively little effect on levels of transmission to reservoir hosts, and thus on natural transmission cycles.

The role of migrating wild birds in transmitting diseases of poultry or zoonoses is a contentious issue as the researchers and naturalists stands divided regarding their capability to disperse pathogens over continents. Recently, migratory birds got world wide attention during the bird flu outbreaks, as they were found capable to disseminate the deadly H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) virus, without themselves getting affected. However, the death of migratory birds due to H5N1, reported from Asia, has fuelled anxiety and concern over the whole issue. Apart from avian influenza, migratory birds are also thought to play role in the transmission of avian viruses like Newcastle disease virus, avian pneumovirus and duck plague virus. Similarly, bacterial pathogens like Chlamydophila psittaci and Pasteurella multocida can be transmitted to domestic poultry via migratory birds. They are also known to spread West Nile virus, equine encephalitis virus, Borrelia burgdorferi and enteropathogens like Campylobacter and Salmonella, which could affect animals as will as human beings. To prevent such etiological agents from entering poultry premises, strict biosecurity and constant surveillance are of paramount importance. Hence, in the scenario of migratory birds contributing significantly to the global spread of infectious diseases, a better understanding of their role in the disease epidemiology has to be gained by implementing superior surveillance and tracking strategies.

Lyme disease (LD) is the most common tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere, producing a wide range of disabling effects on multiple human targets, including the skin, the nervous system, the joints and the heart. Insufficient clinical diagnostic methods, the necessity for prompt antibiotic treatment along with the pervasive nature of infection impel the development and establishment of new clinical diagnostic tools with increased accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. The goal of this article is 4-fold: (i) to detail LD infection and pathology, (ii) to review prevalent diagnostic methods, emphasizing inherent problems, (iii) to introduce the usage of in vivo induced antigen technology (IVIAT) in clinical diagnostics and (iv) to underscore the relevance of a novel comprehensive LD diagnostic approach to practitioners of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Utilization of this analytical method will increase the accuracy of the diagnostic process and abridge the time to treatment, with antibiotics, herbal medicines and nutritional supplements, resulting in improved quality of care and disease prognosis.

The distributions of the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, and of the etiologic agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), have continued expanding in Illinois over the past 20 years, but the extent of their spread is not well known. The role of multiple habitats in the establishment and maintenance of I. scapularis and Bb at local scales is not well understood, and the use of integrated approaches to evaluate local scale dynamics is rare. We evaluated habitat diversity and temporal changes of I. scapularis occurrence and Bb infection within a natural area in Piatt County, Illinois, where I. scapularis were first detected in 2002. Small mammals were trapped and attached ticks were collected in young forest, prairie, mature forest, and flood plain sites from 2005 to 2009. Small mammal abundance, and the prevalence (% mammals infested), mean intensity (I. scapularis per infested mammal), and relative density (I. scapularis per mammal trapped) of I. scapularis were computed for each habitat type and compared. Immature I. scapularis were tested for Bb infection using polymerase chain reaction techniques. Out of 2446 trapped small mammals, 388 were infested with I. scapularis. The prairie had the highest diversity of small mammal hosts. Prevalence, mean intensity, and relative density of I. scapularis and prevalence of Bb infection were highest for the prairie and young forest sites; in the former, all infection was associated with the prairie vole, Microtus ochrogaster. The minimum Bb infection prevalence of on-host I. scapularis collected in the natural area was 14% (n = 56). Unlike previous studies solely focused on forested areas and Peromyscus leucopus, our study is the first to provide evidence of I. scapularis collected from prairie habitat and other reservoir hosts, particularly M. ochrogaster.

Lizards and mammals were trapped and examined for ticks from August 1992 to June 1993 in two habitat types, chaparral and woodland-grass, in northern California. Five tick species were collected from mammals (Dermacentor occidentalis, Haemaphysalis ...

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato is a genetically diverse group of spirochetes that includes the agent of Lyme borreliosis in which genospecies tend to be associated with specifi c clinical features. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in 524 ticks collected in woods of a western province of Belgium. Presence of spirochetes in ticks was determined by phase contrast microscopy. The mean infection rate of ticks was 12.0%. Variability was observed in the prevalence of infection among the fi ve sites examined, ranging from 2.8 to 21.6%. Identifi cation to genospecies was determined by PCR and sequencing. The most common genomospecies were Borrelia afzelii (55%) and Borrelia garinii (21%). For the fi rst time in Belgium, we detected Borrelia valaisiana and Borrelia spielmanii, representing 14% and 2%, respectively. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto counted only for 2%. Co-infections were present in 8% of ticks. We emphasize the need for clinical studies to assess the prevalence of specific genospecies-related clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis in Belgium.

Borrelia burgdorferi , the Lyme disease spirochete, persistently infects mammalian hosts despite the development of strong humoral responses directed against the pathogen. Here we describe a novel mechanism of immune evasion by B. burgdorferi . In immunocompetent mice, spirochetes that did not express ospC (the outer-surface protein C gene) were selected within 17 d after inoculation, concomitantly with the emergence

In een landelijke campagne, geor- ganiseerd door de 'Tickbusters' en gefi nancierd door de Groep Genees- kunde Gezelschapsdieren van de KNMvD, zijn in de afgelopen twee jaar meer dan 6500 teken ingezon- den naar het Utrecht Centrum voor Teken-gebonden Ziekten (UCTD) van de Faculteit der Diergenees- kunde. In dit artikel zijn 4298 teken opgenomen die tus- sen juli 2005 en

This review examines the biology of ticks and tick-borne infections in the United States. The most common tick-borne diseases in dogs and cats are discussed. We demonstrate that there is much interest in tick-borne infections at the level of the lay public (pet owners), describe trends in the distribution and prevalence of tick-borne infections in the United States, summarize some issues in understanding the degree of ill health due to tick-borne infections, and suggest some avenues for research that would clarify these issues.

Rio Grande wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) were evaluated as potential hosts of ixodid ticks, lice, and Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.)) in three state parks in Sonoma County, California, USA, during 2003 and 2004. In total, 113 birds were collected, 50 (44.2%) of which were found to be infested by 361 ixodid ticks representing three species:

The geographic distribution of canine infection with vector-borne disease agents in the United States appears to be expanding. To provide an updated assessment of geographic trends in canine infection with Dirofilaria immitis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia spp., and Anaplasma spp., we evaluated results from an average of 3,588,477 dogs tested annually by veterinarians throughout the United States from 2010 - 2012. As in an earlier summary report, the percent positive test results varied by agent and region, with antigen of D. immitis and antibody to Ehrlichia spp. most commonly identified in the Southeast (2.9% and 3.2%, respectively) and antibody to both B. burgdorferi and Anaplasma spp. most commonly identified in the Northeast (13.3% and 7.1%, respectively) and upper Midwest (4.4% and 3.9%, respectively). Percent positive test results for D. immitis antigen were lower in every region considered, including in the Southeast, than previously reported. Percent positive test results...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the LIAISON Borrelia Screen (Diasorin, Saluggia, Italy), a new automated immunoassay based on the chemiluminescent technology (chemiluminescence immunoassay). To assess whether a decrease in a negative value in the anti-VlsE immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titer was correlated with a positive response to treatment, a group of serially collected serum samples from 67 patients with culture-confirmed erythema migrans was retrospectively studied. All the patients had been treated with antibiotics and were free of disease within 3 to 6 months of follow-up. All the 15 patients who were found to be IgG positive at the time of enrollment and who were bled at least four times during the follow-up became IgG seronegative at 2 to 6 months posttreatment. These results indicate that a decline in the anti-VlsE antibody titer coincides with effective antimicrobial therapy in patients with early localized Lyme disease.

The genome of the type strain (B31) of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is composed of 12 linear and 9 circular plasmids and a linear chromosome. Plasmid content can vary among strains, but one 26-kb circular plasmid (cp26) is always present. The ubiquitous nature of cp26 suggests that it provides functions required for bacterial viability. We tested this hypothesis by attempting to selectively displace cp26 with an incompatible but replication-proficient vector, pBSV26. While pBSV26 transformants contained this incompatible vector, the vector coexisted with cp26, which is consistent with the hypothesis that cp26 carries essential genes. Several cp26 genes with ascribed or predicted functions may be essential. These include the BBB29 gene, which has sequence homology to a gene encoding a glucose-specific phosphotransferase system component, and the resT gene, which encodes a telomere resolvase involved in resolution of the replicated telomeres of the linear...

Lyme borreliosis is a multisystemic disease caused by infection with various genospecies of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The organs most often affected are the skin, joints, the heart, and the central and peripheral nervous systems. Multiple neurological complications can occur, including aseptic meningitis, encephalopathy, facial nerve palsy, radiculitis, myelitis, and peripheral neuropathy. To investigate spinal cord involvement in the nonhuman primate (NHP) model of Lyme borreliosis, we inoculated 25 adult Macaca mulatta with B. burgdorferi sensu strictu strains N40 by needle (N ¼ 9) or by tick (N ¼ 4) or 297 by needle (N ¼ 2), or with B. burgdorferi genospecies garinii strains Pbi (N ¼ 4), 793 (N ¼ 2), or Pli (N ¼ 4) by needle. Immunosuppression either transiently (TISP) or permanently (IS) was used to facilitate establishment of infection. Tissues and fluids were collected at necropsy 7-24 weeks later. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to study inflammation, and immunohistochemistry and digital image analysis to measure inflammation and localize spirochetes. The spirochetal load and C1q expression were measured by TaqMan RT-PCR. The results showed meningoradiculitis developed in only one of the 25 NHP's examined, TISP NHP 321 inoculated with B. garinii strain Pbi. Inflammation was localized to nerve roots, dorsal root ganglia, and leptomeninges but rarely to the spinal cord parenchyma itself. T cells and plasma cells were the predominant inflammatory cells. Significantly increased amounts of IgG, IgM, and C1q were found in inflamed spinal cord. Taqman RT-PCR found spirochetes in the spinal cord only in IS-NHP's, mostly in nerve roots and ganglia rather than in the cord parenchyma. C1q mRNA expression was significantly increased in inflamed spinal cord. This is the first comprehensive study of spinal cord involvement in Lyme borreliosis.

Lyme borreliosis is caused by infection with the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Nonhuman primates inoculated with the N40 strain of B. burgdorferi develop infection of multiple tissues, including the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous system. In immunocompetent nonhuman primates, spirochetes are present in low numbers in tissues. For this reason, it has been difficult to study their localization and changes in expression of surface proteins. To further investigate this, we inoculated four immunosuppressed adult Macaca mulatta with 1 million spirochetes of the N40 strain of B. burgdorferi, and compared them with three infected immunocompetent animals and two uninfected controls. The brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, skeletal muscle, heart, and bladder were obtained at necropsy 4 months later. The spirochetal tissue load was first studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-ELISA of the outer surface protein A (ospA) gene. Immunohistochemistry was used to study the localization and numbers of spirochetes in tissues and the expression of spirochetal proteins and to characterize the inflammatory response. Hematoxylin and eosin and trichrome stains were used to study inflammation and tissue injury. The results showed that the number of spirochetes was significantly higher in immunosuppressed animals. B. burgdorferi in the CNS localized to the leptomeninges, nerve roots, and dorsal root ganglia, but not to the parenchyma. Outside of the CNS, B. burgdorferi localized to endoneurium and to connective tissues of peripheral nerves, skeletal muscle, heart, aorta, and bladder. Although ospA, ospB, ospC, and flagellin were present at the time of inoculation, only flagellin was expressed by spirochetes in tissues 4 months later. Significant inflammation occurred only in the heart, and only immunosuppressed animals had cardiac fiber degeneration and necrosis. Plasma cells were abundant in inflammatory foci of steroid-treated animals. We concluded that B. burgdorferi has a tropism for the meninges in the CNS and for connective tissues elsewhere in the body

Objetivos: Detectar anticuerpos IgG/IgM contra Borrelia burgdorferi en población general, procedentes de los departamentos de Piura y Amazonas e identificar especies de garrapatas probablemente incriminadas en la transmisión de la enfermedad de Lyme. Material y Métodos: Entre agosto del año 2001 y junio de 2002, se colectaron muestras de sangre de 232 pobladores procedentes de ocho localidades del Departamento de Piura y 12 del Departamento de Amazonas, para evaluar mediante ELISA Captia TM Lyme IgG/IgM (Trinity biotech) la presencia de anticuerpos contra Borrelia burgdorferi. Además, se colectaron garrapatas en animales domésticos por búsqueda directa. Resultados: Se detectó seropositividad en 9,9 % de los sueros evaluados. Asimismo, de 433 garrapatas colectadas se identificaron los géneros: Ixodes (5,5%), Amblyomma (18,0%), Rhipicephalus (23,5%), Anocentor (31,1%) y Boophilus (21,7%). Conclusiones: Existen personas seropositivas por Borrelia en Piura y Amazonas, coincidiendo con los hallazgos realizados en Sapillica en el año 1992, además se detectó la presencia de garrapatas del género Ixodes en Piura.

Mice deficient in complement component C3 (C3 ؊/؊ ) and syngeneic C57BL/6 control mice were challenged with Borrelia burgdorferi to determine the role of complement in immune clearance and joint histopathology during experimental Lyme borreliosis. Tibiotarsal joint, ear, and heart tissues were monitored for spirochete numbers at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks postinoculation with 10 5 B. burgdorferi B31 clone 5A4 by using quantitative real-time PCR. The spirochete load in joint and ear tissue remained higher in the C3 ؊/؊ mice than in the wild-type counterparts throughout the 12-week study, whereas the numbers in heart tissue of both groups of mice decreased substantially at 8 to 12 weeks postinfection. Histopathology scores for joint tissue were generally higher in the C3 ؊/؊ mice compared to C57BL/6 controls at 2 and 4 weeks postinfection, which may reflect the presence of higher numbers of bacteria in the joints at these early time points. Levels of anti-B. burgdorferi immunoglobulin G tended to be reduced in the C3 ؊/؊ mice compared to control mice. Furthermore, a 5.5-fold-lower number of the complement-sensitive Borrelia garinii was needed to infect C3 ؊/؊ mice compared to C57BL/6 mice, indicating that its sensitivity to complement is one barrier to infection of the mouse model by B. garinii. These results indicate that the complement system may be important in controlling the early dissemination and progression of B. burgdorferi infection.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Among the numerous proposed etiologies, Borrelia burgdorferi (a causative agent of Lyme disease) has been associated with MS. Although the current MS therapies decrease the quantity and severity of the attacks, most patients experience various neurologic symptoms obliging them to have recourse to one or more com-

The authors report three cases of thoracic radiculoneuropathy disclosing neuroborreliosis. All three patients had low back and abdominal pain and two had marked abdominal wall paresis. EMG confirmed a motor involvement of the lower thoracic roots and CSF analysis revealed a lymphocytic meningitis in all three cases. Antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi were present in both the serum and the CSF. A favourable outcome was obtained in all three patients with appropriate antibiotherapy. The differential diagnosis of this misleading presentation is discussed.

Invasive bacterial pathogens intervene at various stages and by various mechanisms with the mammalian plasminogen/plasmin system. A vast number of pathogens express plasmin(ogen) receptors that immobilize plasmin(ogen) on the bacterial surface, an event that enhances activation of plasminogen by mammalian plasminogen activators. Bacteria also influence secretion of plasminogen activators and their inhibitors from mammalian cells. The prokaryotic plasminogen activators streptokinase and staphylokinase form a complex with plasmin(ogen) and thus enhance plasminogen activation. The Pla surface protease of Yersinia pestis resembles mammalian activators in function and converts plasminogen to plasmin by limited proteolysis. In essence, plasminogen receptors and activators turn bacteria into proteolytic organisms using a host-derived system. In Gram-negative bacteria, the filamentous surface appendages fimbriae and flagella form a major group of plasminogen receptors. In Gram-positive bacteria, surface-bound enzyme molecules as well as M-protein-related structures have been identified as plasminogen receptors, the former receptor type also occurs on mammalian cells. Plasmin is a broadspectrum serine protease that degrades fibrin and noncollagenous proteins of extracellular matrices and activates latent procollagenases. Consequently, plasmin generated on or activated by Haemophilus influenzae, Salmonella typhimurium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Y. pestis, and Borrelia burgdorferi has been shown to degrade mammalian extracellular matrices. In a few instances plasminogen activation has been shown to enhance bacterial metastasis in vitro through reconstituted basement membrane or epithelial cell monolayers. In vivo evidence for a role of plasminogen activation in pathogenesis is limited to Y. pestis, Borrelia, and group A streptococci. Bacterial proteases may also directly activate latent procollagenases or inactivate protease inhibitors of human plasma, and thus contribute to tissue damage and bacterial spread across tissue barriers. ß

Pathogenic spirochetes are bacteria that cause a number of emerging and re-emerging diseases worldwide, including syphilis, leptospirosis, relapsing fever, and Lyme borreliosis. They navigate efficiently through dense extracellular matrix and cross the blood-brain barrier by unknown mechanisms. Due to their slender morphology, spirochetes are difficult to visualize by standard light microscopy, impeding studies of their behavior in situ. We engineered a fluorescent infectious strain of Borrelia burgdorferi, the Lyme disease pathogen, which expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP). Real-time 3D and 4D quantitative analysis of fluorescent spirochete dissemination from the microvasculature of living mice at high resolution revealed that dissemination was a multi-stage process that included transient tethering-type associations, shortterm dragging interactions, and stationary adhesion. Stationary adhesions and extravasating spirochetes were most commonly observed at endothelial junctions, and translational motility of spirochetes appeared to play an integral role in transendothelial migration. To our knowledge, this is the first report of high resolution 3D and 4D visualization of dissemination of a bacterial pathogen in a living mammalian host, and provides the first direct insight into spirochete dissemination in vivo. Citation: Moriarty TJ, Norman MU, Colarusso P, Bankhead T, Kubes P, et al. (2008) Real-Time High Resolution 3D Imaging of the Lyme Disease Spirochete Adhering to and Escaping from the Vasculature of a Living Host. PLoS Pathog 4(6): e1000090.

We reported that the invariant TCR expressed by mouse and human NKT cells recognizes glycosphingolipids with α branched sugars, which are unique to Sphingomonas bacteria. This provides a direct mechanism for microbial recognition by NKT cells, as opposed to the indirect mechanism described above. The NKT cell response to Sphingomonas is driven by TCR recognition rather than APC-derived cytokines, and

La liste des pathogènes portés par les tiques est longue et variée, et inclue des virus, des bactéries, des protozoaires et des nématodes. Des co-infections par ces divers pathogènes ont été précédemment rapportées. Nous avons étudié les co-infections bactériennes par Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum et Francisella tularensis chez la tique Ixodes ricinus en Serbie. Par PCR, nous avons détecté des séquences spécifiques d'espèce de ces trois bactéries dans de l'ADN total extrait de la tique. Des infections avec plus d'un pathogène ont été détectées chez 42 (28,8 %) des 146 I. ricinus infectés. Les co-infections avec deux pathogènes étaient présentes dans 39 (26,7 %) de ces 146 tiques infectées. La présence simultanée d'A. phagocytophilum et de différents génotypes du complexe B. burgdorferi s.l. a été observée chez 16 tiques ; la co-infection par différents génotypes de B. burgdorferi s.l. chez 15 tiques, et huit présentaient une infection mixte par F. tularensis et B. burgdorferi s.l. Des infections triples, plus rares, ont été détectées chez trois tiques, une infectée par A. phagocytophilum, B. burgdorferi s.s. et B. lusitaniae, et les deux autres par F. tularensis, B. burgdorferi s.s. et B. lusitaniae. Aucune infection associant A. phagocytophilum et F. tularensis n'a été observée.