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increased incidence of lyme borreliosis following mild winters and during warm, humid summers. 200717203287
lyme borreliosis and multiple sclerosis are associated with primary effusion lymphoma.multiple sclerosis (ms) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system characterized by chronic inflammation and demyelination. studies suggested that the viral, especially epstein-barr virus infection, and bacterial infections, especially borrelia burgdorferi infection, play a role in etiology of ms. ms prevalence parallels the distribution of the lyme disease pathogen b. burgdorferi. criteria used for diagnosis of ms can also be fulfilled in other conditions such as lyme disease, a multisy ...200717197115
borrelia burgdorferi bba74, a periplasmic protein associated with the outer membrane, lacks porin-like properties.the outer membrane of borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, contains very few integral membrane proteins, in contrast to other gram-negative bacteria. bba74, a borrelia burgdorferi plasmid-encoded protein, was proposed to be an integral outer membrane protein with putative porin function and designated as a 28-kda outer membrane-spanning porin (oms28). in this study, the biophysical properties of bba74 and its subcellular localization were investigated. bba74 is posttranslat ...200717189354
c6 peptide elisa test in the serodiagnosis of lyme borreliosis in sweden.the aim of this study was to evaluate the synthetic c6 peptide test as a first-line test in a two-tiered scheme for borrelia serology in a clinically well-characterized population of patients with lyme borreliosis in kalmar county, sweden. the study population consisted of a prospective group (n = 200), a control group (n = 255), and a retrospective group (n = 29). the test panel consisted of the immunetics quick elisa c6 borrelia assay kit (immunetics, cambridge, ma, usa), the virotech borrelia ...200717180348
the lyme disease agent borrelia burgdorferi requires bb0690, a dps homologue, to persist within ticks.borrelia burgdorferi survives in an enzootic cycle, and dps proteins protect dna against damage during starvation or oxidative stress. the role of a dps homologue encoded by borrelia in spirochaete survival was assessed. dps-deficient spirochaetes were infectious in mice via needle-inoculation at the dose of 10(5) spirochaetes. larval ticks successfully acquired dps-deficient spirochaetes via a blood meal on mice. however, after extended periods within unfed nymphs, the dps-deficient spirochaete ...200717181780
synthesis of an experimental glycolipoprotein vaccine against lyme disease.a novel glycolipid was synthesized that corresponds to cholesteryl palmitoyl-galactopyranoside 1 found in the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease. in order to fashion 1 in a conjugatable form, the palmitoyl residue was modified to include a terminal aldehydo moiety that anchored the glycolipid to aminooxypropylated serum albumin using oxime chemistry. the glycolipoprotein so obtained incorporates an average of 18 glycolipid moieties per albumin molecule. the nove ...200717182019
in situ immune response in brain and kidney during early relapsing fever borreliosis.characterization of the host immune response during initial pathogenesis of relapsing fever neuroborreliosis would be a key to understanding borrelia persistence and factors driving the inflammatory process. we analyzed immune cells in brain and kidney with the highly invasive b. crocidurae during the first two weeks of murine infection. in both organs, microglia and/or macrophages predominated while t-cell changes were minimal. compared to kidney, brain neutrophils infiltrated more rapidly and ...200717184846
decreased up-regulation of the interleukin-12rbeta2-chain and interferon-gamma secretion and increased number of forkhead box p3-expressing cells in patients with a history of chronic lyme borreliosis compared with asymptomatic borrelia-exposed individuals.lyme borreliosis (lb) can, despite adequate antibiotic treatment, develop into a chronic condition with persisting symptoms such as musculoskeletal pain, subjective alteration of cognition and fatigue. the mechanism behind this is unclear, but it has been postulated that an aberrant immunological response might be the cause. in this study we investigated the expression of the t helper 1 (th1) marker interleukin (il)-12rbeta2, the marker for t regulatory cells, forkhead box p3 (foxp3) and the cyt ...200717177959
alzheimer's disease braak stage progressions: reexamined and redefined as borrelia infection transmission through neural circuits.brain structure in health is a dynamic energized equation incorporating chemistry, neuronal structure, and circuitry components. the chemistry "piece" is represented by multiple neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine. the neuronal structure "piece" incorporates synapses and their connections. and finally circuits of neurons establish "architectural blueprints" of anatomic wiring diagrams of the higher order of brain neuron organizations. in alzheimer's disease, there ar ...200717113237
evidence that rpos (sigmas) in borrelia burgdorferi is controlled directly by rpon (sigma54/sigman).the alternative sigma factor (rpon-rpos) pathway controls the expression of key virulence factors in borrelia burgdorferi. however, evidence to support whether rpon controls rpos directly or, perhaps, indirectly via a transactivator has been lacking. herein we provide biochemical and genetic evidence that rpon directly controls rpos in b. burgdorferi.200717158681
rapid clearance of lyme disease spirochetes lacking ospc from skin.we previously demonstrated that borrelia burgdorferi requires ospc to colonize a mammalian host. to delineate this requirement, we analyzed the clearance of ospc mutant spirochetes and found that they were eliminated within 48 h. we conclude that b. burgdorferi uses ospc to resist innate host defenses immediately after transmission.200717158906
[therapy-resistant depression with fatigue. a case of presumed streptococcal-associated autoimmune disorder].after a tick bite and erythema chronicum migrans, a 31-year-old patient developed headaches, fatigue, multilocular pain and therapy-resistant depression with cognitive disturbances. antibodies against borrelia and borna disease virus, high antibody titers against streptococci at the point of most severe depression and blood-csf barrier dysfunction were found. streptococcal antibody titers were normal 2 years before and 4 years after. with penicillin treatment and tonsillectomy, therapy-resistant ...200717160540
identification of specific chemoattractants and genetic complementation of a borrelia burgdorferi chemotaxis mutant: flow cytometry-based capillary tube chemotaxis assay.measuring the chemotactic response of borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterial species that causes lyme disease, is relatively more difficult than measuring that of other bacteria. because these spirochetes have long generation times, enumerating cells that swim up a capillary tube containing an attractant by using colony counts is impractical. furthermore, direct counts with a petroff-hausser chamber is problematic, as this method has a low throughput and necessitates a high cell density; the latter ...200717172459
the use of local isolates in western blots improves serological diagnosis of lyme disease in scotland.nine scottish borrelia burgdorferi isolates were investigated in igg western blot tests. sera previously found to be positive and negative when tested by routine western blots prepared from reference strain b. burgdorferi sensu stricto antigen had different outcomes with these isolates. two isolates, e5 (borrelia afzelii) and g4 (b. burgdorferi sensu stricto) performed well, reproducing western blot-positive results in 90 and 95% of tests, respectively. when antigens from both isolates were inco ...200717172516
genospecies of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in ixodes ricinus ticks from the autonomous province of trento, italy.sequences of the variable intergenic spacer region 5s (rrfa) 23s (rrlb) rrna were used to identify borrelia genospecies present in ixodes ricinus nymphs collected from the lamar lakes area of the province of trento, italy (overall prevalence=6.3%). four genospecies were identified, one for the first time in this province (b. valaisiana), and three which have been noted previously (b. afzelii, b. garinii, and b. burgdorferi s.s.). in order to compare the genetic variability of these genospecies i ...200717137840
borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes that harbor only a portion of the lp28-1 plasmid elicit antibody responses detectable with the c6 test for lyme disease.detection of antibody to c6, a peptide that reproduces the sequence of the sixth invariable region within the central domain of the vlse protein of borrelia burgdorferi, is used currently for the serologic diagnosis of lyme disease in humans. b. burgdorferi isolates taken from infected humans can be categorized into specific genetic subtypes (designated rst1, -2, and -3) by restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the 16s to 23s rrna spacer sequence. many of these, usually categorized as rst ...200717108288
[sensorineural loss of hearing in lower registers as the main symptom of lyme disease].in a 9-year-old boy with sudden sensorineural loss of hearing in the lower registers in both ears, serology showed elevated levels of antibodies against borrelia burgdorferi and examination of the csf revealed a positive antibody index against borrelia burgdorferi. the boy was treated with antibiotics for 2 weeks. audiometry performed 4 weeks after treatment was completely normal. inner ear involvement in lyme disease has often been discussed. treating these patients with antibiotics may lead to ...200717103202
canine borreliosis: a laboratory diagnostic trial.the aim of this study was to investigate samples from dogs suggestive of active canine borreliosis (group a) by culture and pcr and the detection of antibodies against borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in order to confirm a presumptive clinical diagnosis of canine borreliosis by laboratory results. criteria for such a diagnosis were: history of tick exposure, lameness, neurological signs, nephropathy, lethargy, anorexia, and fever. a total of 302 samples comprising edta blood, urine, synovial flui ...200717101241
recruitment of macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes in l:yme carditis.lyme arthritis, caused by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi, can be recurrent or prolonged, whereas lyme carditis is mostly nonrecurring. a prominent difference between arthritis and carditis is the differential representation of phagocytes in these lesions: polymorphonuclear leukocytes (pmn) are more prevalent in the joint, and macrophages predominate in the heart lesion. we have previously shown differential efficiency of b. burgdorferi clearance by pmn and macrophages, and we now investigat ...200717101663
borrelia burgdorferi alters its gene expression and antigenic profile in response to co2 levels.the etiologic agent of lyme disease, borrelia burgdorferi, must adapt to the distinct environments of its arthropod vector and mammalian host during its complex life cycle. b. burgdorferi alters gene expression and protein synthesis in response to temperature, ph, and other uncharacterized environmental factors. the hypothesis tested in this study is that dissolved gases, including co(2), serve as a signal for b. burgdorferi to alter protein production and gene expression. in this study we focus ...200717098904
spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of upper and lower extremity neuropathic pain due to lyme disease.background. lyme disease is caused by borrelia, a bacterium transmitted by the bite of a deer tick. a slow developing encephalopathy or an axonal polyneuropathy with distal paresthesia and spinal or radicular pain rarely occurs and can be hard to treat. materials and methods. we report here the case of a 44-year-old woman with four-limb, intolerable, neuropathic pain as sequelae to lyme disease, which was resistant to conservative measures and was treated successfully with concurrent, thoracic ...200722151863
phagocytosis of the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi, by cells from the ticks, ixodes scapularis and dermacentor andersoni, infected with an endosymbiont, rickettsia peacockii.tick cell lines were used to model the effects of endosymbiont infection on phagocytic immune responses. the lines tested for their ability to phagocytose the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi (spirochaetales: spirochaetaceae), were ise6 and ide12 from the black-legged tick, ixodes scapularis say (acari: ixodidae) and dae15 from the rocky mountain wood tick, dermacentor andersoni stiles. rickettsia peacockii (rickettsiales: rickettsiaceae), an endosymbiont of d. andersoni, was used a ...200720331397
a facile and green preparation of high-quality cdte semiconductor nanocrystals at room temperature.one chemical reagent, hydrazine hydrate, was discovered to accelerate the growth of semiconductor nanocrystals (cadmium telluride) instead of additional energy, which was applied to the synthesis of high-quality cdte nanocrystals at room temperature and ambient conditions within several hours. under this mild condition the mercapto stabilizers were not destroyed, and they guaranteed cdte nanocrystal particle sizes with narrow and uniform distribution over the largest possible range. the cdte nan ...200821825813
from population structure to genetically-engineered vectors: new ways to control vector-borne diseases?epidemiological studies on vectors and the pathogens they can carry (such as borrelia burgdorferi) are showing some correlations between infection rates and biodiversity highlighting the "dilution" effects on potential vectors. meanwhile other studies comparing sympatric small rodent species demonstrated that rodent species transmitting more pathogens are parasitized by more ectoparasite species. studies on population structure and size have also proven a difference on the intensity of the paras ...200817560836
epidemiological aspects and molecular characterization of borrelia burgdorferi s.l. from southern germany with special respect to the new species borrelia spielmanii sp. nov.in 475 borrelia-infected ixodes ricinus (2155 ticks investigated) from southern germany the most common borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species was b. garinii (34.3%) followed by b. afzelii (25.1%), b. burgdorferi sensu stricto (22.0%), and b. valaisiana (12.7%). b. spielmanii sp. nov. was detected in 5.9% of the 475 infected ticks. hints for a focal distribution were found for b. spielmanii sp. nov. and b. garinii ospa type 4. in 242 patient isolates, dominance (66.9%) of b. afzelii for skin co ...200817616434
phagocytosis of borrelia burgdorferi, the lyme disease spirochete, potentiates innate immune activation and induces apoptosis in human monocytes.we have previously demonstrated that phagocytosed borrelia burgdorferi induces activation programs in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells that differ qualitatively and quantitatively from those evoked by equivalent lipoprotein-rich lysates. here we report that ingested b. burgdorferi induces significantly greater transcription of proinflammatory cytokine genes than do lysates and that live b. burgdorferi, but not b. burgdorferi lysate, is avidly internalized by monocytes, where the bacteria ...200817938216
seroprevalence of rickettsia spp. infection among tick-bitten patients and blood donors in sweden.serum samples from 236 swedish patients with symptoms of infectious disease appearing after a tick bite were analysed for the presence of antibodies to rickettsia helvetica, the only rickettsial species so far isolated from ticks in sweden. of these subjects, 137 had tested seropositive for borrelia burgdorferi. for control purposes, sera from 161 healthy blood donors were examined. a total of 10/397 samples (2.6%) showed igg-antibodies to r. helvetica at or above a titre of 1/80 as cut-off. 6/1 ...200817852905
development of hepatitis b virus capsids into a whole-chain protein antigen display platform: new particulate lyme disease vaccines.the immunogenicity of peptides and small protein fragments can be considerably enhanced by their presentation on particulate carriers such as capsid-like particles (clps) from hepatitis b virus (hbv). hbv clps are icosahedral nanoparticles formed by 90 or 120 core protein dimers. insertions into the immunodominant c/e1 b cell epitope, a surface-exposed loop on the hbv capsid protein, are especially immunogenic. here we investigated whether the hbv core protein can be exploited as a vaccine carri ...200817888729
hypothesized role of galactocerebroside and nkt cells in the etiology of multiple sclerosis.according to the molecular mimicry theory, multiple sclerosis (ms) develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks a component of the myelin sheath that is structurally similar to a foreign epitope. the glycolipid galactocerebroside (galc) is a major component of myelin. as lipids comprise between 70% and 85% of myelin, glycolipids should be investigated as candidate autoantigens in ms. galc displays broad structural similarities to the borrelia burgdorferi glycolipid antigen bbgl-2 and to th ...200817889444
occurrence of multiple infections with different borrelia burgdorferi genospecies in danish ixodes ricinus nymphs.the pathogen borrelia burgdorferi causes lyme borreliosis in human and animals world-wide. in europe the pathogen is transmitted to the host by the vector ixodes ricinus. the nymph is the primary instar for transmission to humans. we here study the infection rate of five borrelia genospecies: b. burgdorferi sensu stricto, b. afzelii, b. garinii, b. valaisiana, b. lusitaniae in nymphs, by ifa and pcr. 600 nymphs were collected in north zealand of denmark. each nymph was first analysed by ifa. if ...200817804280
borrelia burgdorferi bbb07 interaction with integrin alpha3beta1 stimulates production of pro-inflammatory mediators in primary human chondrocytes.borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, activates multiple signalling pathways leading to induction of pro-inflammatory mediators at sites of inflammation. binding of b. burgdorferi to integrin alpha(3)beta(1) on human chondrocytes activates signalling leading to release of several pro-inflammatory mediators, but the b. burgdorferi protein that binds integrin alpha(3)beta(1) and elicits this response has remained unknown. a search of the b. burgdorferi genome for a canonical i ...200817822440
human homologues of a borrelia t cell epitope associated with antibiotic-refractory lyme arthritis.antibiotic-refractory lyme arthritis, which may result from infection-induced autoimmunity, is associated with hla-dr molecules that bind an epitope of borrelia burgdorferi (bb) outer-surface protein a (ospa(165-173)) and with t cell reactivity with this epitope. one potential mechanism to explain these associations is molecular mimicry between ospa(165-173) and a self-peptide. here, we searched the published human genome for peptides with sequence homology with ospa(165-173). the two peptides i ...200817555819
development of real time pcr to detect toxoplasma gondii and borrelia burgdorferi infections in postal samples.most of the samples sent to reference laboratories are delivered by post. thus, diagnostic pcr tests on blood samples have to be performed using methods which are optimised and validated for such conditions. there is a low probability that the organisms toxoplasma gondii and borrelia burgdorferi will be present.200817496189
diagnostic value of sural nerve biopsy in patients with suspected borrelia neuropathy.peripheral neuropathy is a recognized but incompletely understood manifestation of borreliosis. as the pathology of this neuropathy has been described only in small case series, the value of nerve biopsy findings for the pathologic diagnosis of borrelia-associated neuropathy is unclear. we collected and investigated 21 patients with peripheral neuropathy and with typical clinical and serologic signs of neuroborreliosis [borrelia neuropathy (bn)]. standard histology and immunohistochemistry were ...200818346234
a sustained-release formulation of doxycycline hyclate (atridox) prevents simultaneous infection of anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi transmitted by tick bite.current prophylaxis for infected tick bites consists of personal protective measures directed towards ticks. this study compared the efficacy of a single oral dose of doxycycline with that of a single injection of sustained-release doxycycline in a model of lyme borreliosis and anaplasma phagocytophilum infection. dosages of doxycycline were equilibrated based on previously determined peak plasma levels in mice [oral, 2.4 microg (ml plasma)(-1); sustained release, 1.9 microg (ml plasma)(-1)] det ...200818349366
complement factor h-binding protein, a putative virulence determinant of borrelia hermsii, is an antigenic target for protective b1b lymphocytes.vaccination is the most effective way to control infectious diseases. a variety of microbial pathogens use antigenic variation, an immune evasion strategy that poses a challenge for vaccine development. to understand protective immune responses against such pathogens, we have been studying borrelia hermsii, a bacterium that causes recurrent bacteremia due to antigenic variation. an igm response is necessary and sufficient to control b. hermsii infection. we have recently found a selective expans ...200818354209
diversity of ixodes ricinus tick-associated bacterial communities from different forests.nymphal ixodes ricinus ticks (n=180) were collected from three different areas in the netherlands to investigate the effect of forest composition on tick-associated microbial communities. sampled habitats differed in thickness of leaf litter and humus layers and vegetation associations and were located near amsterdam (beech-oak), ede (birch-oak) and veldhoven (birch-oak). analysis of nine 16s rrna gene clone libraries made from individual ticks showed nearest matches with presumed pathogens cand ...200818355299
reciprocal expression of ospa and ospc in single cells of borrelia burgdorferi.outer surface proteins (osp) a and c of the lyme disease spirochete (borrelia burgdorferi) are selectively produced and of functional significance in the tick vector and mammalian host, respectively. some studies indicate a simple, reciprocal relationship where the signals and pathways that turn on ospc also turn off ospa. other studies indicate a more complex regulation where many spirochetes produce both proteins and others produce one of the proteins or neither protein. here, we have used flo ...200818359818
cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma--still under study. 200818363681
some remarks on cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma. 200818363682
lyme carditis: another diagnostically elusive spirochetal disease. 200818364609
high-resolution structure of a self-assembly-competent form of a hydrophobic peptide captured in a soluble beta-sheet scaffold.beta-rich self-assembly is a major structural class of polypeptides, but still little is known about its atomic structures and biophysical properties. major impediments for structural and biophysical studies of peptide self-assemblies include their insolubility and heterogeneous composition. we have developed a model system, termed peptide self-assembly mimic (psam), based on the single-layer beta-sheet of borrelia outer surface protein a. psam allows for the capture of a defined number of self- ...200818367205
[isolation of the recombinant proteins ospc and the fragment flaa (f-flaa) from the western-siberian borrelia garinii nt29 isolates and the study of their immunochemical properties].the structural proteins ospc and flaa of the lyme disease (ld) agent are known to be the basic antigens, which induce the humoral immune response at the initial stage of the disease. the goal of this work was to obtain the recombinant ospc and a fragment of the flaa protein (f-flaa) from the western siberian borrelia garinii nt29 isolates and to assess the possibility of their use for the ld diagnosis. encoding regions of the ospc and f-flab genes were amplified using pcr inserted in the preb ex ...200818368777
[difference in amino acid sequences of b. afzelii p66 surface-exposed loop region].in the present work, we performed a phenotyping analysis of 45 b. afzelii 89-a.a. long amino acid sequences of 7 different allele variants, corresponding to the surface-exposed loop region of p66. 45 investigated isolates showed 5 phenotypically different variants; 2 phenotypically different variants of loop region, in particular, also showed mutations in the putative monoclonal antibody h1337 binding site; the similarity between the amino acid sequences taken from different variants is about 96 ...200818368781
borrelia burgdorferi membranes are the primary targets of reactive oxygen species.spirochetes living in an oxygen-rich environment or when challenged by host immune cells are exposed to reactive oxygen species (ros). these species can harm/destroy cysteinyl residues, iron-sulphur clusters, dna and polyunsaturated lipids, leading to inhibition of growth or cell death. because borrelia burgdorferi contains no intracellular iron, dna is most likely not a major target for ros via fenton reaction. in support of this, growth of b. burgdorferi in the presence of 5 mm h(2)o(2) had no ...200818373524
purification and properties of the plasmid maintenance proteins from the borrelia burgdorferi linear plasmid lp17.the lyme disease spirochete borrelia burgdorferi carries more plasmids than any other bacterium, many of which are linear with covalently closed hairpin ends. these plasmids have also been referred to as mini-chromosomes and essential genetic elements and are integral components of its segmented genome. we have investigated two plasmid maintenance proteins, bbd14 (the replication initiator) and bbd21 (a presumptive para orthologue), encoded by the linear plasmid lp17; these proteins are represen ...200818375548
distinct roles for myd88 and toll-like receptors 2, 5, and 9 in phagocytosis of borrelia burgdorferi and cytokine induction.the contribution of toll-like receptors (tlrs) to phagocytosis of borrelia burgdorferi has not been extensively studied. we show that bone marrow-derived macrophages (bmdm) from myd88(-/-) mice or raw cells transfected with a dominant-negative myd88 were unable to efficiently internalize b. burgdorferi. knockouts of tlr2 and tlr9 or knockdown of tlr5 by small interfering rna produced no defects in phagocytosis of b. burgdorferi. production of inflammatory cytokines was greatly diminished in myd8 ...200818378636
viliuisk encephalomyelitis in northeastern siberia is not caused by borrelia burgdorferi infection.viliuisk encephalomyelitis (ve) is an endemic neurological disease in northeastern siberia and generally believed to be a chronic encephalomyelitis of unknown origin. we investigated 17 patients with a clinical diagnosis of ve within the viliuiski region of sakha (yakutian) republic to explore the core clinical syndrome of chronic ve and subsequently whether ve is caused by borrelia burgdorferi infection. we found a chronic myelopathy as the core of the syndrome, often following an acute phase w ...200818379734
detection of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato dna by pcr in serum of patients with clinical symptoms of lyme borreliosis.lyme borreliosis is a disease caused by spirochaetes belonging to the genospecies complex borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) transmitted by ixodes ticks. at present, serology remains the main diagnostic tool for laboratory diagnosis of lyme borreliosis. recently, the pcr technique has been applied for diagnosis of b. burgdorferi s.l., but, until now, a reliable, easy-to-perform and sensitive method has not been described. here we present a new pcr-based method for the detection of both b. bu ...200818384365
pitfalls in diagnosing limbic encephalitis - a case report.the syndrome of limbic encephalitis (le) is characterized by subacute onset of temporal lobe epilepsy, loss of short-term memory, cognitive confusion and psychiatric symptoms.200818384457
an rnd-type efflux system in borrelia burgdorferi is involved in virulence and resistance to antimicrobial compounds.borrelia burgdorferi is remarkable for its ability to thrive in widely different environments due to its ability to infect various organisms. in comparison to enteric gram-negative bacteria, these spirochetes have only a few transmembrane proteins some of which are thought to play a role in solute and nutrient uptake and excretion of toxic substances. here, we have identified an outer membrane protein, besc, which is part of a putative export system comprising the components besa, besb and besc. ...200818389081
borrelia burgdorferi surface-localized proteins expressed during persistent murine infection are conserved among diverse borrelia spp.borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease in the united states, regulates numerous genes encoding lipoproteins on linear plasmid 54 in response to environmental cues. we analyzed a subset of these genes/proteins that were historically categorized as paralogous gene family 54 (bba64, bba65, bba66, bba68, bba69, bba70, bba71, and bba73) and found that the expression of several genes was influenced by the sigma(n)-sigma(s) regulatory cascade at the level of transcription and protein ...200818390998
lyme borreliosis treatment.lyme borreliosis is the most common human tick-borne illness in the northern hemisphere. the causative agent is the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi species complex, and the hard-shell ticks of the genus ixodes is responsible for pathogen transmission from animals to humans. the incidence of the disease is increasing year by year and although lyme disease is not fatal, it can affect the skin, heart, nervous, and musculoskeletal system with an impairment of quality of life. the appropriate diagnos ...200818394084
prevalence and diversity of lyme borreliosis bacteria in marine birds.a potential role of seabirds in spreading lyme disease (lb) spirochetes over large spatial scales was suggested more than 10 years ago when borrelia garinii was observed in marine birds of both hemispheres. since then, there have been few studies examining the diversity of borrelia spp. circulating in seabirds, or the potential interaction between terrestrial and marine disease cycles. to explore these aspects, we tested 402 ixodes uriae ticks collected from five colonial seabird species by ampl ...200818394972
searching for autoimmunity in "antibiotic-refractory" lyme arthritis.in two recent articles published in molecular immunology, steere and colleagues continue their search for an autoimmune mechanism of arthritis in patients who have failed short-course antibiotic therapy for borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochetal agent of lyme disease. as in previous attempts, the authors fail to elucidate a molecular mimicry mechanism for the putative autoimmune process, leading to the conclusion that there is no credible scientific evidence for a post-infectious autoimmune mecha ...200818395260
pyridine nucleotide complexes with bacillus anthracis coenzyme a-disulfide reductase: a structural analysis of dual nad(p)h specificity.we have recently reported that coash is the major low-molecular weight thiol in bacillus anthracis [nicely, n. i. , parsonage, d., paige, c., newton, g. l., fahey, r. c., leonardi, r., jackowski, s., mallett, t. c., and claiborne, a. (2007) biochemistry 46, 3234-3245], and we have now characterized the kinetic and redox properties of the b. anthracis coenzyme a-disulfide reductase (coadr, bacoadr) and determined the crystal structure at 2.30 a resolution. while the staphylococcus aureus and borr ...200818399646
presence of multiple variants of borrelia burgdorferi in the natural reservoir peromyscus leucopus throughout a transmission season.white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) serve as the principal reservoir for borrelia burgdorferi and have been shown to remain infected for life. complex infections with multiple genetic variants of b. burgdorferi occur in mice through multiple exposures to infected ticks or through exposure to ticks infected with multiple variants of b. burgdorferi. using a combination of cloning and single strand conformation polymorphism (sscp), b. burgdorferi ospc variation was assessed in serial samples co ...200818399776
the long strange trip of borrelia burgdorferi outer-surface protein c.borrelia burgdorferi must adapt physiologically to two markedly different host milieus and efficiently transit between its mammalian host and arthropod vector during tick feeding. differential production of lipoproteins is essential for spirochaetes to survive, multiply and migrate within both hosts. outer-surface protein c (ospc), which is induced during the blood meal, is critical for transmission of lyme disease spirochaetes by nymphal ticks. its biological function is poorly understood, howe ...200818399935
larvae of chigger mites neotrombicula spp. (acari: trombiculidae) exhibited borrelia but no anaplasma infections: a field study including birds from the czech carpathians as hosts of chiggers.chigger mites were collected from 1,080 wild birds of 37 species at certak (czech republic), in the western carpathian mountains, from 29 july to 24 september 2005. the prevalence of infestation with chigger larvae was 7%. a total of 325 chigger specimens from 10 bird species was identified and three chigger species were found: neotrombicula autumnalis, n. carpathica, and n. inopinata, the latter two species being reported on new hosts. neotrombicula carpathica is reported in the czech republic ...200818401688
infection and co-infection rates of anaplasma phagocytophilum variants, babesia spp., borrelia burgdorferi, and the rickettsial endosymbiont in ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) from sites in indiana, maine, pennsylvania, and wisconsin.in total, 394 questing adult blacklegged ticks, ixodes scapularis say (acari: ixodidae), collected at four sites were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) for five microbial species: anaplasma phagocytophilum, babesia microti, babesia odocoilei, borrelia burgdorferi, and the rickettsial i. scapularis endosymbiont. identities of genetic variants of a. phagocytophilum were determined by sequencing a portion of the 16s dna. in 55% of infected ticks (193/351), a single agent was detected. in ...200818402145
immune responses induced by spirochetal outer membrane lipoproteins and glycolipids.the class of spirochetes comprises a wide array of clinically important pathogens, including treponema pallidum causing syphilis as well as borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of lyme disease (ld). diseases caused by spirochetes are characterized by specific sequelae of host reactions, and also by characteristic antibody response patterns. over the last decades, research on the interaction of spirochetes with the host's immune system had a strong emphasis on outer membrane lipoproteins. in fact, the ...200818406378
evaluation of recombinant line immunoblot for detection of lyme disease in slovakia: comparison with two other immunoassays.in the present study the sensitivity and the specificity of three serological tests (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [elisa], indirect fluorescent antibody test [ifa], and recombinant line immunoblot) were compared by examining 74 sera from patients diagnosed with lyme disease in eastern slovakia. in addition, the reactivity to each of the recombinant proteins in the immunoblot was examined in order to evaluate their diagnostic value. generally, the immunoblot (93.2%) and the elisa (90.5%) wer ...200818279004
salp15 binding to dc-sign inhibits cytokine expression by impairing both nucleosome remodeling and mrna stabilization.ixodes ticks are major vectors for human pathogens, such as borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease. tick saliva contains immunosuppressive molecules that facilitate tick feeding and b. burgdorferi infection. we here demonstrate, to our knowledge for the first time, that the ixodes scapularis salivary protein salp15 inhibits adaptive immune responses by suppressing human dendritic cell (dc) functions. salp15 inhibits both toll-like receptor- and b. burgdorferi-induced productio ...200818282094
estimating reservoir competence of borrelia burgdorferi hosts: prevalence and infectivity, sensitivity, and specificity.most vector-borne zoonotic pathogens are transmitted among several host species, but different species vary considerably in their importance to pathogen transmission, at least partially because they vary in their propensity to infect feeding vectors. this propensity is often called realized reservoir competence. realized reservoir competence is the product of 1) the probability the individual host is infected, i.e., infection prevalence, and 2) the probability that if the host is infected, it wi ...200818283955
primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma -'crosti lymphoma': what can we learn?in 1951, crosti reported on seven patients with 'reticulo-histiocytoma of the back' who presented with figurate erythematous plaques and nodules on the back or lateral trunk. reticulo-histiocytoma of the back was later classified as a primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma (pcfcl). a definitive diagnosis of the condition is frequently delayed because of a relative lack of clinical symptoms and difficulties in interpretation of the histologic findings. indeed, a number of primary cutaneous b- ...200818284269
clocking the lyme spirochete.in order to clear the body of infecting spirochetes, phagocytic cells must be able to get hold of them. in real-time phase-contrast videomicroscopy we were able to measure the speed of borrelia burgdorferi (bb), the lyme spirochete, moving back and forth across a platelet to which it was tethered. its mean crossing speed was 1,636 microm/min (n = 28), maximum, 2800 microm/min (n = 3). this is the fastest speed recorded for a spirochete, and upward of two orders of magnitude above the speed of a ...200818286190
a system for site-specific genetic manipulation of the relapsing fever spirochete borrelia hermsii.the lack of a system for genetic manipulation has hindered studies on the molecular pathogenesis of relapsing fever borrelia. the focus of this chapter is to describe selectable markers, manipulation strategies, and methods to electro-transform and clone wild-type infectious borrelia hermsii. preliminary studies suggest that the variable tick protein (vtp) of b. hermsii is involved in tick-to-mammal transmission. to address this hypothesis, we have developed a system for genetic manipulation and ...200818287748
transposon mutagenesis of the lyme disease agent borrelia burgdorferi.borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease, is an obligate parasite that cycles between vertebrate hosts and tick vectors. attempts to understand the genetic factors that allow b. burgdorferi to sense, adapt to, and survive in different environments have been limited by a relatively low transformation rate. here, we describe a mariner-based transposon system that achieves saturating levels of random mutagenesis in b. burgdorferi. in comparison with allelic exchange, which targets ...200818287749
ultrastructural analysis of bacteria-host cell interactions.electron microscopy of bacterial pathogens and interactions between bacteria and host cells and tissues provides valuable insights into structural and molecular properties and processes involved in pathogenesis. applications for electron microscopy in bacterial pathogenesis range from discovering etiologic agents and following chronological events during infections by conventional examination of clinical samples to assessing molecular host-cell responses to infection and in situ interactions bet ...200818287756
determining the cellular targets of reactive oxygen species in borrelia burgdorferi.the response of borrelia burgdorferi to the challenge of reactive oxygen species (ros) is a direct result of its limited biosynthetic capabilities and lack of biologically significant levels of intracellular fe. in other bacteria, the major target for oxidative damage is dna as a consequence of the reaction of "free" intracellular with ros through the fenton reaction. therefore, cellular defenses in these bacteria are focused on protecting this essential cellular component. this does not seem to ...200818287759
reinfection versus relapse in patients with lyme disease: not enough evidence. 200818288903
the rising challenge of lyme borreliosis in canada. 200818290267
seroprevalence of antibodies to borrelia burgdorferi in wild canids in spain. 200818296668
identification of an antiparallel coiled-coil/loop domain required for ligand binding by the borrelia hermsii fhba protein: additional evidence for the role of fhba in the host-pathogen interaction.borrelia hermsii, an etiological agent of tick-borne relapsing fever in north america, binds host-derived serum proteins including factor h (fh), plasminogen, and an unidentified 60-kda protein via its fhba protein. two distinct phylogenetic types of fhba have been delineated (fhba1 and fhba2). these orthologs share a conserved c-terminal domain that contains two alpha helices with a high predictive probability of coiled-coil formation that are separated by a 14-amino-acid loop domain. through s ...200818299341
[lyme arthritis in children and adolescents].lyme arthritis is one of the manifestations of lyme disease and is caused by infection with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. this article reviews the current knowledge regarding the epidemiology, etiology and pathogenesis as well as the clinical manifestations, the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis with special emphasis on children and adolescents.200818301903
serological and molecular prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and ehrlichia species in dogs from minnesota.a population of 731 naturally exposed pet dogs examined at a private practice in baxter, minnesota, an area endemic for lyme disease and anaplasmosis, was tested by serological and molecular methods for evidence of exposure to or infection with selected vector-borne pathogens. serum samples were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) for anaplasma phagocytophilum, borrelia burgdorferi, and ehrlichia canis antibodies and for dirofilaria immitis antigen. blood samples from 273 dogs we ...200818302532
persistence of borrelia burgdorferi following antibiotic treatment in mice.the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment was examined in a mouse model of lyme borreliosis. mice were treated with ceftriaxone or saline solution for 1 month, commencing during the early (3 weeks) or chronic (4 months) stages of infection with borrelia burgdorferi. tissues from mice were tested for infection by culture, pcr, xenodiagnosis, and transplantation of allografts at 1 and 3 months after completion of treatment. in addition, tissues were examined for the presence of spirochetes by immu ...200818316520
neuroborreliosis in the south west of england.although lyme borreliosis is increasingly diagnosed in the united kingdom, few systematic studies have been performed there. uk data suggest that the commonest complications are neurological, but inadequate information exists about their nature and the incidence of late neuroborreliosis. local data are necessary because clinical presentations may show geographical variation. this study aimed to provide data on clinical manifestations in an area of south west england and to estimate treatment del ...200818325130
novel relapsing fever spirochete in bat tick. 200818325285
prevalence of babesia canis, borrelia afzelii, and anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in hard ticks removed from dogs in warsaw (central poland).the purposes of this study were to specify the occurrence and prevalence of babesia canis, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, and anaplasma phagocytophilum in ticks removed from dogs in warsaw, and to determine the borrelia species occurring in ixodes ricinus ticks. among 590 collected ticks, 209 were identified as i. ricinus, and 381 as dermacentor reticulatus. dna of b. canis was detected in 11% of d. reticulatus ticks. we found that 6.2% of i. ricinus ticks harbored b. burgdorferi s.l. specific ...200818328630
postmortem confirmation of lyme carditis with polymerase chain reaction.cardiac involvement in lyme disease is uncommon and typically manifests clinically by conduction disturbances. postmortem identification of borrelia burgdorferi has never been reported in a case of lyme carditis.200818329555
a tightly regulated surface protein of borrelia burgdorferi is not essential to the mouse-tick infectious cycle.borrelia burgdorferi synthesizes a variety of differentially regulated outer surface lipoproteins in the tick vector and in vertebrate hosts. among these is ospd, a protein that is highly induced in vitro by conditions that mimic the tick environment. using genetically engineered strains in which ospd is deleted, we demonstrate that this protein is not required for b. burgdorferi survival and infectivity in either the mouse or the tick. however, examination of both transcript levels and protein ...200818332210
csf b--lymphocyte chemoattractant (cxcl13) in the early diagnosis of acute lyme neuroborreliosis.recent studies have suggested a diagnostic role of the b-lymphocyte attracting chemokine (cxcl13) in the cerebrospinal fluid (csf) in lyme neuroborreliosis (lnb). our aim was to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of csf cxcl13 in a cohort of 59 consecutive patients referred to hospital for suspected lnb. thirty-seven patients were classified as definite lnb and used as the reference standard. seven were classified as probable, and seven as possible lnb. eight patients did not fulfil case definitions a ...200818344056
role of migratory birds in introduction and range expansion of ixodes scapularis ticks and of borrelia burgdorferi and anaplasma phagocytophilum in canada.during the spring in 2005 and 2006, 39,095 northward-migrating land birds were captured at 12 bird observatories in eastern canada to investigate the role of migratory birds in northward range expansion of lyme borreliosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, and their tick vector, ixodes scapularis. the prevalence of birds carrying i. scapularis ticks (mostly nymphs) was 0.35% (95% confidence interval [ci] = 0.30 to 0.42), but a nested study by experienced observers suggested a more realistic infe ...200818245258
flagellin and outer surface proteins from borrelia burgdorferi are not glycosylated.we investigated the presence of glycoproteins in borrelia burgdorferi. we did not find any evidence for glycosylation of the major outer membrane proteins ospa and ospb or the structural flagellar proteins flab and flaa. we suggest that glycoproteins present on the surface of b. burgdorferi may be tightly bound culture medium glycoproteins.200818245287
pharmacodynamics of doxycycline for chemoprophylaxis of lyme disease: preliminary findings and possible implications for other antimicrobials.the purpose of this study was to begin to characterise the pharmacodynamic parameters of single-dose doxycycline for the prevention of lyme disease following a tick bite. based on limited data from published human and murine studies, it was found that there is a direct correlation between efficacy rate and the area under the time-concentration of free antibiotic curve divided by the minimum inhibitory concentration (fauc/mic) (r(2)=0.74, using pearson correlation), but not the maximum concentrat ...200818226504
myd88 negatively controls hypergammaglobulinemia with autoantibody production during bacterial infection.a large body of evidence has convincingly shown that toll-like receptors are necessary sensors for infections with pathogens, but their activation was also suggested to generate autoimmunity. during experimental infections, the lack of these sensors or of their signaling molecules should lead to a deficient immune response. we found out that myd88, the major adaptor of the toll/interleukin-1 (toll/il-1) receptor signaling pathway, can actually act as a negative regulator of b-cell function in so ...200818227170
an appraisal of "chronic lyme disease". 200818219748
an appraisal of "chronic lyme disease". 200818219749
an appraisal of "chronic lyme disease". 200818219750
an appraisal of "chronic lyme disease". 200818219751
an appraisal of "chronic lyme disease". 200818219752
an appraisal of "chronic lyme disease". 200818216368
immunoblot analysis of the seroreactivity to recombinant borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato antigens, including vlse, in the long-term course of treated patients with erythema migrans.we evaluated whether immunoblotting is capable of substantiating the posttreatment clinical assessment of patients with erythema migrans (em), the hallmark of early lyme borreliosis.200818216470
higher mrna levels of chemokines and cytokines associated with macrophage activation in erythema migrans skin lesions in patients from the united states than in patients from austria with lyme borreliosis.erythema migrans (em) is caused primarily by borrelia afzelii in europe and solely by borrelia burgdorferi in the united states. b. burgdorferi infection in the united states has previously been associated with faster expansion of em lesions and with more associated symptoms, compared with b. afzelii infection in europe. however, reasons for these differences are not yet known.200818171218
a differential role for bb0365 in the persistence of borrelia burgdorferi in mice and ticks.borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of lyme disease, persists in both an arthropod vector and vertebrate hosts, usually wild rodents. analysis of the b. burgdorferi transcriptome in vivo indicates that the bb0365 gene is markedly induced as spirochetes enter the feeding ticks from infected mice. to understand the importance of the bb0365 gene product in the spirochete life cycle, we inactivated this gene in an infectious isolate of b. burgdorferi b31. bb0365-deficient spirochetes were full ...200818171298
analysis of the determinants of bba64 (p35) gene expression in borrelia burgdorferi using a gfp reporter.the bba64 (p35) gene of borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of lyme disease, encodes a surface-exposed lipoprotein. the expression of bba64 in vitro is tightly regulated and dependent on several environmental factors. in nature, its expression is induced in the tick vector during feeding and maintained during infection of the vertebrate host. the pattern of expression of bba64 suggests that it imparts a critical function to the pathogen. a previous study has shown that the expression of bba64 is dow ...200818174146
distantly related lipocalins share two conserved clusters of hydrophobic residues: use in homology modeling.lipocalins are widely distributed in nature and are found in bacteria, plants, arthropoda and vertebra. in hematophagous arthropods, they are implicated in the successful accomplishment of the blood meal, interfering with platelet aggregation, blood coagulation and inflammation and in the transmission of disease parasites such as trypanosoma cruzi and borrelia burgdorferi. the pairwise sequence identity is low among this family, often below 30%, despite a well conserved tertiary structure. under ...200818190694
searching for borrelial t cell epitopes associated with antibiotic-refractory lyme arthritis.antibiotic-refractory lyme arthritis is believed to result from an infection-induced autoimmune response triggered by the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi (bb). disease susceptibility is associated with the hla alleles drb1*0101, 0401, 0402, 0404, 0405 and drb5*0101, and all these mhc molecules bind the bb epitope ospa(163-175.) however, not all patients have a proliferative response to this epitope. to identify other possible bb epitopes involved in this disease process, the algorithm tepitope w ...200818191206
borrelia burgdorferi uniquely regulates its motility genes and has an intricate flagellar hook-basal body structure.borrelia burgdorferi is a flat-wave, motile spirochete that causes lyme disease. motility is provided by periplasmic flagella (pfs) located between the cell cylinder and an outer membrane sheath. the structure of these pfs, which are composed of a basal body, a hook, and a filament, is similar to the structure of flagella of other bacteria. to determine if hook formation influences flagellin gene transcription in b. burgdorferi, we inactivated the hook structural gene flge by targeted mutagenesi ...200818192386
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