Heterogeneity of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato demonstrated by an ospA-type-specific PCR in synovial fluid from patients with Lyme arthritis

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, the etiological agent of Lyme borreliosis, has been divided into three genospecies: B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (OspA-type 1), B. afzelii (OspA-type 2) and B. garinii (OspA-type 3–7). Whereas in Europe B. afzelii (OspA-type 2) is predominant among human skin isolates and B. garinii (OspA-type 3–7) among human CSF isolates, some previous serological studies suggested that Lyme arthritis is also associated with B. burgdorferi sensu stricto in Europe. In the present study we designed ospA type-specific PCRs and identified four different ospA types associated with Lyme arthritis. Our study group consisted of 20 patients with positive serology (ELISA and immunoblotting) and clinical criteria for Lyme arthritis. B. burgdorferi DNA was detected in 13 patients and in none of 10 control patients from synovial fluid. We identified ospA-type 1 (26.6%), ospA-type 2 (33.3%), ospA-type 4 (6.6%) and ospA-type 5 (33.3%). Our conclusion is that in Europe B. burgdorferi sensu lato strains causing Lyme arthritis are considerably heterogeneous and that there is no prevalence of certain genospecies or OspA-types among this strains. Received: 14 May 1998     

Artificial-infection protocols allow immunodetection of novel Borrelia burgdorferi antigens suitable as vaccine candidates against Lyme disease

Vaccination with recombinant outer surface protein A (OspA) from Borrelia burgdorferi provides excellent antibody-mediated protection against challenge with the pathogen in animal models and in humans. However, the bactericidal antibodies are ineffective in the reservoir host, since OspA is expressed by spirochetes only in the vector, but rarely, if at all, in mammals. Using an artificially generated immune serum (anti-10(8) spirochetes) with high protective potential for prophylactic and therapeutic treatment, we have now isolated from an expression library of B. burgdorferi (strain ZS7) three novel genes, zs7.a36, zs7.a66 and zs7.a68. All three genes are located, together with ospA/B, on the linear plasmid lp54, and are expressed in vitro and in ticks. At least temporarily two of them, ZS7.A36 and ZS7.A66, are also expressed during infection. The respective natural antigens are poorly immunogenic ininfected normal mice but elicited antibodies in Lyme disease patients. We show that recombinant preparations of ZS7.A36, ZS7.A66 and ZS7.A68 induce functional antibodies in rabbits capable of protecting immunodeficient mice against subsequent experimental infection. These findings suggest that all three recombinant antigens represent potential candidates for a "second generation" vaccine to prevent and/or cure Lyme disease.     

中国莱姆病螺旋体鞭毛蛋白中央区的基因克隆和表达

目的　对中国莱姆病螺旋体Borreliagarinii基因种参照菌株PD91的鞭毛蛋白中央区的编码基因进行克隆表达 ,对重组鞭毛蛋白作为莱姆病血清学诊断抗原进行初步的研究 ,并进行基因序列和氨基酸序列分析。方法　设计引物 ,用PCR技术获得PD91的鞭毛蛋白中央区的编码基因片段 ,经酶切、连接 ,插入质粒pET 30a中 ,构成重组质粒pET30a mfla,转化到大肠杆菌BL2 1,提取质粒进行酶切、DNA测序和氨基酸序列分析鉴定 ,诱导表达 ,筛选高效表达株 ,应用SDS PAGE和Westernblot鉴定重组蛋白及其抗原性。结果　成功地获得了鞭毛蛋白中央区的编码基因片段和基因重组 ,重组蛋白在宿主菌BL2 1中高效表达。Westernblot结果显示重组鞭毛蛋白的中央区与PD91的鞭毛蛋白具有相同的抗原性。经测序显示该中央区基因片段为鞭毛蛋白基因的 4 0 9～ 786bp ,与北美莱姆病螺旋体标准株B31的DNA碱基序列比较分析 ,同源性 92 %。结论　成功地对中国莱姆病螺旋体Borreliagarinii基因种的鞭毛蛋白中央区进行了克隆表达 ,并证实具有抗原性 ,为我国莱姆病血清学诊断研究提供资料。     

Early dissemination of Borrelia burgdorferi without generalized symptoms in patients with erythema migrans

The diagnosis of erythema migrans (EM) is not always easy, and reports of culture- or PCR-confirmed diagnosis as well as reports of EM with simultaneous disseminated disease are few. Characteristics and incidence of EM in addition to frequency of early dissemination of B. burgdorferi were studied in the archipelago of South-Western Finland prospectively using questionnaires, skin biopsies and blood samples. Clinical EM was recognized in 82 patients (incidence 148/100,000 inhabitants/year). Of skin biopsy samples, 35.5% were positive by PCR (the majority B. garinii), and 21.5% by cultivation (all B. garinii). Of blood samples, 3.8% were positive by PCR, and 7.7% by cultivation. Of the patients, 30.9% were seropositive at the first visit, and 52.9% 3 weeks later. Of the patients with laboratory confirmed diagnosis, the EM lesion was ring-like in 31.8% and homogeneous in 65.9%. Dissemination of B. burgdorferi, based on culture or PCR positivity of blood samples, was detected in 11.0% of the patients. The frequency of generalized symptoms was nearly the same in patients with as in those without dissemination (22.2% vs 27.4%). Only 21.4% of the patients with culture-positive EM recalled a previous tick bite at the site of the EM lesion. We conclude that EM lesions are more often homogeneous than ring-like. B. burgdorferi may disseminate early without generalized symptoms.     

Characterization of the B-cell inhibitory protein factor in Ixodes ricinus tick saliva: a potential role in enhanced Borrelia burgdoferi transmission

We recently described the inhibition of host B lymphocytes by Ixodes ricinus tick saliva. In this study, we characterized the factor responsible for this activity and examined the modulation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein (Osp)-induced proliferation of naive murine B lymphocytes by an enriched fraction of this factor. The B-lymphocyte inhibitory activity was destroyed by trypsin treatment, indicating that a proteinaceous factor was responsible for this activity. The removal of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) from tick salivary glands extracts (SGE) showed that this B-cell inhibitory protein (BIP) was not a GST. Gel filtration liquid chromatography indicated that BIP has a native molecular weight of approximately 18,000. An enrichment protocol, using a combination of anion-exchange and reverse-phase liquid chromatography, was established. BIP-enriched fractions did not suppress T-cell proliferation. Delayed addition of BIP-enriched fractions, up to 7 hr after LPS addition, inhibited the proliferation of isolated B cells. BIP-enriched fractions dramatically inhibited both OspA- and OspC-induced proliferation of isolated B cells. These results strongly suggest that BIP may facilitate B. burgdorferi transmission by preventing B-cell activation, and also highlights the potential of BIP as a therapeutic agent in B-cell maladies.     

莱姆病人工宿主动物模型的建立

为了建立莱姆病人工宿主模型进行实验传播研究,用从我国全沟硬蜱分离的莱姆病螺旋体Borrelia garinii CHNM4人工感染4种实验动物.结果表明,以0.1×106条/mL的剂量皮下注射3日龄昆明小鼠是比较理想的方案.由此建立的动物模型既能用作全沟硬蜱的血源动物,又能在15天内保持所感染螺旋体对全沟硬蜱的感染力,可作为人工宿主动物模型.     

Immune responses to borrelial VlsE IR6 peptide variants

Laboratory confirmation of Lyme borreliosis (LB) relies mainly on the demonstration of anti-borrelial antibodies. In recent studies, a novel VlsE protein IR₆ peptide-based assay has been introduced. Our aim was to evaluate the IR₆ peptides from three Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato genospecies in the serodiagnosis of European and North American patients. Five VlsE protein IR₆ peptide variants representing sequences from B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and B. afzelii were used as antigens in both IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Serum antibodies of 187 patients at different stages of LB from Europe and the United States were evaluated for serodiagnosis. For comparison samples were tested with one of the commercial IR₆ ELISAs. Three B. afzelii IR₆ variant peptides revealed antibodies that were concordant with each other. B. burgdorferi sensu stricto peptide antibodies mostly paralleled B. afzelii peptide antibodies, and positive values were also obtained in the majority of European sera. For several sera, B. garinii IR₆ peptide antibodies were discordant to B. afzelii peptide antibodies. The commercial IR₆ peptide antibody assay (C6 ELISA) results correlated better with B. burgdorferi sensu stricto IR₆ than with B. garinii IR₆ peptide IgG results, especially in sera from patients with facial palsy. Thus, antibody specificity to IR₆ peptides may vary according to the infecting Borrelia species. In some manifestations of the disease, C6 ELISA may not cover all LB cases. Evidently, the methodological aspects in ELISA design for peptide antibody measurements are important as well as the amino acids sequence of the antigen.     

Controversies in bacterial taxonomy: The example of the genus Borrelia

In this paper we survey key issues in bacterial taxonomy and review the literature regarding the recent genus separation proposed for the genus Borrelia. We discuss how information on members of the genus Borrelia is increasing but detailed knowledge on the relevant features is available only for a small subset of species. The data accumulated here show that there is considerable overlap in ecology, clinical aspects and molecular features between clades that argue against splitting of the genus Borrelia.     

Pathogenic New World Relapsing Fever Borrelia in a Myotis Bat,Eastern China, 2015

We identified Candidatus Borrelia fainii, a human pathogenic bacterium causing New World relapsing fever in a Myotis bat in eastern China. This finding expands knowledge about the geographic distribution of Borrelia spp. and the potential for infection with New World relapsing fever in China.     

新疆北部林区工作人员蜱传疾病的血清学调查研究

为了解新疆北部林区工作人员嗜吞噬细胞无形体病、森林脑炎、莱姆病3种蜱传疾病感染情况,采集新疆北部林区工作人员血清标本215份,采取间接免疫荧光法检测血清中嗜吞噬细胞无形体、森林脑炎病毒、伯氏疏螺旋体特异性IgG抗体.经检测嗜吞噬细胞无形体IgG抗体阳性率为40.47％ (87/215),森林脑炎病毒IgG抗体阳性率为20.00％ (43/215),莱姆病伯氏疏螺旋体IgG抗体阳性率为10.70％ (23/215).共检测出29例复合感染,复合感染率为13.49％ (29/215).其中嗜吞噬细胞无形体和森林脑炎病毒复合感染率6.05％ (13/215),嗜吞噬细胞无形体和莱姆病伯氏疏螺旋体复合感染率3.72％ (8/215),森林脑炎病毒和莱姆病伯氏疏螺旋体复合感染率1.40％ (3/215),三种病原体复合感染率2.33％ (5/215).新疆北部林区工作人员中存在嗜吞噬细胞无形体病、森林脑炎、莱姆病及其复合感染流行.