Publications

TitleAbstractYear(sorted descending)
Filter
PMID
Filter
catestatin and vasostatin concentrations in healthy dogs.the neuroendocrine glycoprotein chromogranin a is a useful biomarker in humans for neuroendocrine tumors and stress. chromogranin a can be measured in both blood and saliva. the objective of this study was to investigate concentrations of and correlation between the chromogranin a epitopes catestatin and vasostatin in healthy dogs accustomed to the sample collection procedures. blood and saliva samples were collected from 10 research beagle dogs twice daily for 5 consecutive days, and from 33 pr ...201728049540
vcam-1 and icam-1 serum levels as markers of relapse in visceral leishmaniasis. 201728101315
temperature-dependent srna transcriptome of the lyme disease spirochete.transmission of borrelia burgdorferi from its tick vector to a vertebrate host requires extensive reprogramming of gene expression. small regulatory rnas (srna) have emerged in the last decade as important regulators of bacterial gene expression. despite the widespread observation of srna-mediated gene regulation, only one srna has been characterized in the lyme disease spirochete b. burgdorferi. we employed an srna-specific deep-sequencing approach to identify the small rna transcriptome of b. ...201728056764
the therapeutic potential of targeting substance p/nk-1r interactions in inflammatory cns disorders.the inflammatory responses of resident central nervous system (cns) cells are now known to play a critical role in the initiation and progression of an array of infectious and sterile neuroinflammatory disorders such as meningitis, encephalitis, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (ms). regulating glial inflammatory responses in a timely manner is therefore critical in preserving normal cns functions. the neuropeptide substance p is produced at high levels within the ...201728101005
the therapeutic potential of targeting substance p/nk-1r interactions in inflammatory cns disorders.the inflammatory responses of resident central nervous system (cns) cells are now known to play a critical role in the initiation and progression of an array of infectious and sterile neuroinflammatory disorders such as meningitis, encephalitis, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (ms). regulating glial inflammatory responses in a timely manner is therefore critical in preserving normal cns functions. the neuropeptide substance p is produced at high levels within the ...201728101005
a novel quantitative pcr detects babesia infection in patients not identified by currently available non-nucleic acid amplification tests.ticks transmit babesia microti, the causative agents of babesiosis in north america and europe. babesiosis is now endemic in northeastern usa and affects people of all ages. babesia species infect erythrocytes and can be transmitted through blood transfusion. whole blood and blood products, which are not tested for babesia, can cause transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (ttb) resulting in severe consequences in the immuno-compromised patients. the purpose of this study was epidemiological evaluati ...201728088177
serological evidence of exposure to zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in pheasants (phasianus colchicus).previous studies on tick-borne pathogens in the avian population have focused mainly on the detection of the agents in ticks collected from birds, but data about the presence of tick-borne bacteria in these animals are scant. the aim of the presented study was to verify the exposure to some zoonotic tick-borne bacteria, in particular, anaplasma phagocytophilum, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, coxiella burnetii, and the rickettsia species of the spotted fever group (sfg), in pheasants (phasianus ...201728378988
prevalence of infections and co-infections with 6 pathogens in dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected in eastern poland.occurrence of co-infections with various pathogens in ixodid ticks creates a risk of increased severity of tick-borne diseases in humans and animals exposed to bite of the ticks carrying multiple pathogens. accordingly, co-infections in ticks were subject of numerous analyses, but almost exclusively with regard to ixodes ricinus complex whereas potential tick vectors belonging to other genera were much less studied. taking into consideration the role of dermacentor reticulatus in the transmissio ...201728378977
serological and molecular prevalence of canine vector-borne diseases (cvbds) in korea.previous surveys in dogs from korea indicated that dogs are exposed to a variety of vector- borne pathogens, but perception for a nation-wide canine vector-borne disease (cvbd) occurrence has been missing. we report here results of both serological and molecular prevalence studies for major cvbds of dogs from all over the south korean peninsula except for jeju island.201728298245
melting pot of tick-borne zoonoses: the european hedgehog contributes to the maintenance of various tick-borne diseases in natural cycles urban and suburban areas.european hedgehogs (erinaceus europaeus) are urban dwellers and host both ixodes ricinus and ixodes hexagonus. these ticks transmit several zoonotic pathogens like borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato), anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia helvetica, borrelia miyamotoi and "candidatus neoehrlichia mikurensis". it is unclear to what extent hedgehogs in (sub) urban areas contribute to the presence of infected ticks in these areas, which subsequently pose a risk for acquiring a tick-borne disease. the ...201728270232
borrelia diversity and co-infection with other tick borne pathogens in ticks.identifying borrelia burgdorferi as the causative agent of lyme disease in 1981 was a watershed moment in understanding the major impact that tick-borne zoonoses can have on public health worldwide, particularly in europe and the usa. the medical importance of tick-borne diseases has long since been acknowledged, yet little is known regarding the occurrence of emerging tick-borne pathogens such as borrelia spp., anaplasma phagocytophilum, rickettsia spp., bartonella spp., "candidatus neoehrlichi ...201728261565
rnai reveals proteins for metabolism and protein processing associated with langat virus infection in ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick) ise6 cells.tick-borne flaviviruses (tbfs) cause thousands of human cases of encephalitis worldwide each year, with some tbf infections progressing to hemorrhagic fever. tbfs are of medical and veterinary importance and strategies to reduce flavivirus transmission by the tick vector may have significant application. analyses of the proteome of ise6 cells derived from the black legged tick, ixodes scapularis infected with the tbf, langat virus (lgtv), have provided insights into proteins and cellular process ...201728086865
first identification of rickettsia helvetica in questing ticks from a french northern brittany forest.tick-borne rickettsiae are considered to be emerging, but data about their presence in western europe are scarce. ixodes ricinus ticks, the most abundant and widespread tick species in western europe, were collected and tested for the presence of several tick-borne pathogens in western france, a region never previously explored in this context. there was a high tick abundance with a mean of 4 females, 4.5 males, and 23.3 nymphs collected per hour per collector. out of 622 tested ticks, specific ...201728248955
detection of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and anaplasma phagocytophilum in questing ticks ixodes ricinus from the czech republic.the aim of the present study is to compare the prevalence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and anaplasma phagocytophilum in questing ticks by using molecular methods from spring to autumn 2007. a total of 526 ixodes ricinus ticks were collected from vegetation in three different sampling sites, representing an urban area (city park), a suburban area (village) and a natural montane habitat. the prevalence of b. burgdorferi s.l. was 17.3% (7.5% in males, 18.7% in females and 20.2% in nymp ...201728238642
bacteria associated with marginal zone lymphomas.in the last decades some bacteria have been associated with a various extent with marginal zone (extra nodal, nodal and splenic types) lymphomas are frequently associated with chronic infections, with important clinical, molecular, biological, and therapeutic implications. the well-known correlation between helicobacter pylori and gastric malt-lymphoma, the recently reported links between chlamydia psittaci and ocular adnexal malt-lymphoma and borrelia burgdorferi and cutaneous malt lymphoma con ...201728288714
acute flaccid myelitis associated with enterovirus-d68 infection in an otherwise healthy child.reporting new cases of enterovirus (ev)-d68-associated acute flaccid myelitis (afm) is essential to understand how the virus causes neurological damage and to characterize ev-d68 strains associated with afm.201728081720
bacterial serine protease htra as a promising new target for antimicrobial therapy?recent studies have demonstrated that the bacterial chaperone and serine protease high temperature requirement a (htra) is closely associated with the establishment and progression of several infectious diseases. htra activity enhances bacterial survival under stress conditions, but also has direct effects on functions of the cell adhesion protein e-cadherin and extracellular matrix proteins, including fibronectin and proteoglycans. although htra cannot be considered as a pathogenic factor per s ...201728069057
molecular epidemiological survey of bacterial and parasitic pathogens in hard ticks from eastern china.ticks are able to transmit various pathogens-viruses, bacteria, and parasites-to their host during feeding. several molecular epidemiological surveys have been performed to evaluate the risk of tick-borne pathogens in china, but little is known about pathogens circulating in ticks from eastern china. therefore, this study aimed to investigate the presence of bacteria and parasites in ticks collected from xuzhou, a 11258km(2) region in eastern china. in the present study, ticks were collected fro ...201727986546
emergence of tick-borne pathogens (borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, anaplasma phagocytophilum, ricketsia raoultii and babesia microti) in the kyiv urban parks, ukraine.to date, only limited data about the presence of ticks and circulation of tick-borne pathogens in urban parks of kyiv in northern ukraine are available. in total, 767 ticks (696 ixodes ricinus and 69 dermacentor reticulatus) collected in seven urban parks and one suburban oak wood park in kyiv were individually analyzed by the pcr assays. tick-borne pathogens, namely spirochetes from borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and babesia microti, were detected in 11.1% o ...201727923669
seroprevalence of borrelia burgdorferi, anaplasma phagocytophilum, and francisella tularensis infections in belgium: results of three population-based samples.to estimate the seroprevalence of borrelia burgdorferi (bb), anaplasma phagocytophilum (ap), and francisella tularensis (ft) in belgium, we tested sera from three population-based samples in which exposure to pathogen is assumed to vary: 148 samples from workers professionally exposed, 209 samples from rural blood donors, and 193 samples from urban blood donors. sera were tested using elisa or the immunofluorescence assay test. the seroprevalence of bb was 5.4% in workers professionally exposed, ...201727828762
specificity of mass spectrometry (maldi-tof) in the diagnosis of babesia canis regarding to other canine vector-borne diseases.the canine vector-borne diseases (cvbd) is a term, which describes a range of infectious or/and parasitic diseases whose etiological agents are transmitted by vectors. cvbd are becoming more widely in the world in relation to global warming and the increasing number of infected vectors. the aim of this study was to assess rapid mass spectrometry (ms) - based proteomics analyses for diagnosis of babesia canis, anaplasma phagocytophilum and borrelia burgdorferi infections in dogs. the study was co ...201727614473
lyme disease risk in southern california: abiotic and environmental drivers of ixodes pacificus (acari: ixodidae) density and infection prevalence with borrelia burgdorferi.tick-borne diseases, particularly lyme disease, are emerging across the northern hemisphere. in order to manage emerging diseases and predict where emergence will likely occur, it is necessary to understand the factors influencing the distribution, abundance and infection prevalence of vector species. in north america, lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease and is transmitted by blacklegged ticks. this study aimed to explore the abiotic and environmental drivers of density and infe ...201728057067
searching for lyme borreliosis in australia: results of a canine sentinel study.lyme borreliosis is a common tick-borne disease of the northern hemisphere that is caused by bacterial spirochaetes of the borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) (bbsl) complex. to date, there has been no convincing evidence for locally-acquired lyme borreliosis on the australian continent and there is currently a national debate concerning the nature and distributions of zoonotic tick-transmitted infectious disease in australia. in studies conducted in europe and the united states, dogs have been us ...201728285585
transmission differentials for multiple pathogens as inferred from their prevalence in larva, nymph and adult of ixodes ricinus (acari: ixodidae).ixodes ricinus serves as vector for a range of microorganisms capable of causing clinical illness in humans. the microorganisms occur in the same vector populations and are generally affected by the same tick-host interactions. still, the instars have different host preferences which should manifest in different transmission patterns for various microorganisms in the tick populations, i.e., most microorganisms increase in prevalence rate from larvae to nymphs because their reservoirs are among s ...201728255923
tick-borne pathogens induce differential expression of genes promoting cell survival and host resistance in ixodes ricinus cells.there has been an emergence and expansion of tick-borne diseases in europe, asia and north america in recent years, including lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis and human anaplasmosis. the primary vectors implicated are hard ticks of the genus ixodes. although much is known about the host response to these bacterial and viral pathogens, there is limited knowledge of the cellular responses to infection within the tick vector. the bacterium anaplasma phagocytophilum is able to bypass apoptotic ...201728202075
infection-derived lipids elicit an immune deficiency circuit in arthropods.the insect immune deficiency (imd) pathway resembles the tumour necrosis factor receptor network in mammals and senses diaminopimelic-type peptidoglycans present in gram-negative bacteria. whether unidentified chemical moieties activate the imd signalling cascade remains unknown. here, we show that infection-derived lipids 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (popg) and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl diacylglycerol (podag) stimulate the imd pathway of ticks. the tick imd network protects agai ...201728195158
detection of borrelia miyamotoi and other tick-borne pathogens in human clinical specimens and ixodes scapularis ticks in new york state, 2012-2015.borrelia miyamotoi (bm) is a recently emerging bacterial agent transmitted by several species of ixodid ticks. diagnosis of bm infection can be challenging, as the organism is not easily cultivable. we have developed and validated a multiplex real-time pcr to simultaneously identify bm infection and the agents causing human granulocytic anaplasmosis and human monocytic ehrlichiosis, anaplasma phagocytophilum and ehrlichia chaffeensis, respectively. the assay is 100% specific; highly sensitive, d ...201728131594
health survey of free-ranging raccoons (procyon lotor) in central park, new york, new york, usa: implications for human and domestic animal health.we conducted health assessments on 113 free-ranging raccoons ( procyon lotor ) in central park, new york city, us, in february 2010, september 2010, and november 2011 in conjunction with a trap-vaccinate-release program to control a raccoon rabies epizootic. five individuals were sampled at two time points for 118 raccoon examinations in total. we tested 13 of 13 and 8 of 13 euthanized raccoons for rabies and canine distemper virus (cdv), respectively, by antigen testing on brain tissue; all wer ...201728135131
borrelia burgdorferi dna absent, multiple rickettsia spp. dna present in ticks collected from a teaching forest in north central florida.tick-borne diseases are an emerging public health threat in the united states. in florida, there has been public attention directed towards the possibility of locally acquired borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative agent of lyme disease, in association with the lone star tick. the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of ticks and the pathogens they carry and potentially transmit, such as b. burgdorferi, in a highly utilized teaching and research forest in north central fl ...201727720381
climate change and the epidemiology of selected tick-borne and mosquito-borne diseases: update from the international society of dermatology climate change task force.climate change refers to variation in the climate of a specific region or globally over time. a change has been reported in the epidemiology of tick- and mosquito-borne diseases in recent decades. investigators have postulated that this effect may be associated with climate change. we reviewed the english-language literature describing changes in the epidemiology of specific tick- and mosquito-borne diseases, including the tick-borne diseases of lyme disease, tularemia, crimean-congo hemorrhagic ...201727696381
evaluation of a serological test for the diagnosis of borrelia miyamotoi disease in europe.borrelia miyamotoi causes systemic febrile illness and is transmitted by the same tick species that transmits borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and tick-borne encephalitis virus. we describe a serological test using a fragment of glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase (glpq) as an antigen, and determined its performance in well-defined patient categories.201728259789
the first case of imported borrelia miyamotoi disease concurrent with lyme disease.borrelia miyamotoi disease (bmd) is an emerging infectious disease caused by b. miyamotoi. although bmd has been reported in the united states, europe, and japan, no case of imported bmd has been described in the world. here, we report a 63-year-old american man living in japan who presented with malaise, headache, myalgia, and arthralgia. we suspected lyme disease because of his travel history to minnesota and presence of erythema migrans. serologic analysis supported our diagnosis, and doxycyc ...201728162921
host immune evasion by lyme and relapsing fever borreliae: findings to lead future studies for borrelia miyamotoi.the emerging pathogen, borrelia miyamotoi, is a relapsing fever spirochete vectored by the same species of ixodes ticks that carry the causative agents of lyme disease in the us, europe, and asia. symptoms caused by infection with b. miyamotoi are similar to a relapsing fever infection. however, b. miyamotoi has adapted to different vectors and reservoirs, which could result in unique physiology, including immune evasion mechanisms. lyme borrelia utilize a combination of ixodes-produced inhibito ...201728154563
borrelia miyamotoi in vectors and hosts in the netherlands.ixodes ticks transmit borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), the causative agent of lyme borreliosis (lb). these tick species also transmit borrelia miyamotoi, which was recently found to cause infections in humans. we were interested in the prevalence of b. miyamotoi infection in ticks and natural hosts in the netherlands, and to what extent ticks are co-infected with b. burgdorferi. in addition, erythema migrans has been sporadically described in b. miyamotoi-infected patients, but these skin ...201728065617
diagnosing borreliosis.borrelia species fall into two groups, the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (bbsl) complex, the cause of lyme borreliosis (also known as lyme disease), and the relapsing fever group. both groups exhibit inter- and intraspecies diversity and thus have variations in both clinical presentation and diagnostic approaches. a further layer of complexity is derived from the fact that ticks may carry multiple infectious agents and are able to transmit them to the host during blood feeding, with potential ...201728055580
borrelia miyamotoi and co-infection with borrelia afzelii in ixodes ricinus ticks and rodents from slovakia.borrelia miyamotoi causes relapsing fever in humans. the occurrence of this spirochete has been reported in ixodes ricinus and wildlife, but there are still gaps in the knowledge of its eco-epidemiology and public health impact. in the current study, questing i. ricinus (nymphs and adults) and skin biopsies from rodents captured in slovakia were screened for the presence of b. miyamotoi and borrelia burgdorferi s.l. dna. the prevalence of b. miyamotoi and b. burgdorferi s.l. in questing ticks wa ...201727995301
validation of droplet digital pcr for the detection and absolute quantification of borrelia dna in ixodes scapularis ticks.we evaluated the qx200 droplet digital pcr (ddpcr™, bio-rad) system and protocols for the detection of the tick-borne pathogens borrelia burgdorferi and borrelia miyamotoi in ixodes scapularis nymphs and adults collected from north truro, massachusetts. preliminary screening by nested pcr determined positive infection levels of 60% for b. burgdorferi in these ticks. to investigate the utility of ddpcr as a screening tool and to calculate the absolute number of bacterial genome copies in an infec ...201727806739
tick thioester-containing proteins and phagocytosis do not affect transmission of borrelia afzelii from the competent vector ixodes ricinus.the present concept of the transmission of lyme disease from borrelia-infected ixodes sp. ticks to the naïve host assumes that a low number of spirochetes that manage to penetrate the midgut epithelium migrate through the hemocoel to the salivary glands and subsequently infect the host with the aid of immunomodulatory compounds present in tick saliva. therefore, humoral and/or cellular immune reactions within the tick hemocoel may play an important role in tick competence to act as a vector for ...201728361038
comparison of mkp and bsk-h media for the cultivation and isolation of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.the isolation of b. burgdorferi sensu lato requires the use of complex cultivation media. the aim of the study was to compare the usefulness of bsk-h (a commercial medium produced by himedia, india) and mkp medium. mkp and bsk-h media were prepared in accordance with the relevant protocols. borrelia strains and skin culture biopsies were simultaneously inoculated into both media, incubated and checked for growth. borrelial growth characteristics, isolation rates and characteristics of the isolat ...201728170447
induction of apoptosis in normal human dermal fibroblasts infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.the spirochete borrelia burgdorferi s.l. can enter into different eukaryotic cells. intracellular localization of bacteria may cause many changes in different cell pathways like apoptosis-mediated caspase cascade. the present studies focused on gene expression associated with caspase cascade after normal human dermal fibroblasts (nhdf) infection with borrelia garinii, borrelia afzelii, and b. burgdorferi s.s. the use of oligonucleotide microarray technique enabled an expression level comparison ...201728068192
acarological risk of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infections across space and time in the netherlands.a longitudinal investigation on tick populations and their borrelia infections in the netherlands was undertaken between 2006 and 2011 with the aim to assess spatial and temporal patterns of the acarological risk in forested sites across the country and to assess variations in borrelia genospecies diversity. ticks were collected monthly in 11 sites and nymphs were examined for borrelia infections. tick populations expressed strong seasonal variations, with consistent and significant differences ...201727893309
clinical and serological one-year follow-up of patients after the bite of ixodes ricinus ticks infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.the risk of developing lyme borreliosis (lb) after the bite of a borrelia (b.) burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) infected tick in romania is unknown.201727866446
multistrain infections with lyme borreliosis pathogens in the tick vector.mixed or multiple-strain infections are common in vector-borne diseases and have important implications for the epidemiology of these pathogens. previous studies have mainly focused on interactions between pathogen strains in the vertebrate host, but little is known about what happens in the arthropod vector. borrelia afzelii and borrelia garinii are two species of spirochete bacteria that cause lyme borreliosis in europe and that share a tick vector, ixodes ricinus each of these two tick-borne ...201727836839
expression profiles of toll-like receptors in the differentiation of an infection with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes.the similarity of lyme borreliosis to other diseases and its complex pathogenesis present diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties. the changes that occur at the cellular and molecular levels after a borrelia sp. infection still remain poorly understood. therefore, the present study focused on the expression of tlr and tlr-signaling genes in human dermal fibroblasts in the differentiation of an infection with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes. normal human dermal fibroblasts were cultur ...201727604757
enzootic origins for clinical manifestations of lyme borreliosis.both early localized and late disseminated forms of lyme borreliosis are caused by borrelia burgdorferi senso lato. differentiating between the spirochetes that only cause localized skin infection from those that cause disseminated infection, and tracing the group of medically-important spirochetes to a specific vertebrate host species, are two critical issues in disease risk assessment and management. borrelia burgdorferi senso lato isolates from lyme borreliosis cases with distinct clinical ma ...201728040562
detection of borrelia genomospecies 2 in ixodes spinipalpis ticks collected from a rabbit in canada.lyme disease is a serious health problem, with many patients requiring in-depth clinical assessment and extended treatment. in the present study, we provide the first records of the western blacklegged tick, ixodes pacificus , and ixodes spinipalpis parasitizing eastern cottontails, sylvilagus floridanus . we also documented a triple co-infestation of 3 tick species (ixodes angustus, i. pacificus , i. spinipalpis) feeding on an eastern cottontail. notably, we discovered a unique member of the ly ...201727835071
serological detection of antibodies to anaplasma spp., borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and ehrlichia canis and of dirofilaria immitis antigen in dogs from costa rica.in a study in costa rica 314 serum samples from dogs throughout all seven provinces were tested using a commercial kit for the detection of circulating antibodies against anaplasma spp., borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and ehrlichia canis, and of circulating antigen of dirofilaria immitis. a total of 6.4% (20/314) and 38.2% (120/314) were positive for anaplasma spp. (an) and e. canis (ec) antibodies. overall, 8.0% (25/314) were positive for d. immitis (di) antigen. one single dog reacted positiv ...201728288773
the enzootic life-cycle of borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and tick-borne rickettsiae: an epidemiological study on wild-living small mammals and their ticks from saxony, germany.borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) and rickettsiae of the spotted fever group are zoonotic tick-borne pathogens. while small mammals are confirmed reservoirs for certain borrelia spp., little is known about the reservoirs for tick-borne rickettsiae. between 2012 and 2014, ticks were collected from the vegetation and small mammals which were trapped in saxony, germany. dna extracted from ticks and the small mammals' skin was analyzed for the presence of rickettsia spp. and b. burgdorferi (s.l.) by ...201728285593
borrelia burgdorferi keeps moving and carries on: a review of borrelial dissemination and invasion.borrelia burgdorferi is the etiological agent of lyme disease, a multisystemic, multistage, inflammatory infection resulting in patients experiencing cardiac, neurological, and arthritic complications when not treated with antibiotics shortly after exposure. the spirochetal bacterium transmits through the ixodes vector colonizing the dermis of a mammalian host prior to hematogenous dissemination and invasion of distal tissues all the while combating the immune response as it traverses through it ...201728270812
metabolomics of the tick-borrelia interaction during the nymphal tick blood meal.the causal agents of lyme disease in north america, borrelia burgdorferi and borrelia mayonii, are transmitted primarily by ixodes scapularis ticks. due to their limited metabolic capacity, spirochetes rely on the tick blood meal for nutrients and metabolic intermediates while residing in the tick vector, competing with the tick for nutrients in the blood meal. metabolomics is an effective methodology to explore dynamics of spirochete survival and multiplication in tick vectors before transmissi ...201728287618
diet-induced obesity does not alter tigecycline treatment efficacy in murine lyme disease.obese individuals more frequently suffer from infections, as a result of increased susceptibility to a number of bacterial pathogens. furthermore, obesity can alter antibiotic treatment efficacy due to changes in drug pharmacokinetics which can result in under-dosing. however, studies on the treatment of bacterial infections in the context of obesity are scarce. to address this research gap, we assessed efficacy of antibiotic treatment in diet-induced obese mice infected with the lyme disease pa ...201728286500
vancomycin reduces cell wall stiffness and slows swim speed of the lyme disease bacterium.borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochete that causes lyme disease, is a tick-transmitted pathogen that requires motility to invade and colonize mammalian and tick hosts. these bacteria use a unique undulating flat-wave shape to penetrate and propel themselves through host tissues. previous mathematical modeling has suggested that the morphology and motility of these spirochetes depends crucially on the flagellar/cell wall stiffness ratio. here, we test this prediction using the antibiotic vancomycin ...201728256234
determination of seroprevalence of borrelia burgdorferi igg in adult population living in trabzon.lyme borreliosis is a tick-borne, multi-systemic infectious disease that is thought to be wide spread in turkey even though studies on its seroprevalence are limited.201728251023
response letter to drs. halperin and greenberg. 201728238387
[cutaneous manifestations of lyme disease : pitfalls in the serological diagnostic workup].serology, the detection of b. burgdorferi-specific igm and igg serum antibodies, is the most common laboratory test to diagnose cutaneous manifestations of lyme disease. in a two-tiered approach, an elisa is used as a screening test. a positive or equivocal elisa result needs confirmation by a specific immunoblot. the sensitivity of this approach reaches 80-95%. the diagnosis of erythema migrans is based on its typical clinical appearance. serology is only indicated in atypical cases. in contras ...201728236088
survey of spatial distribution of vector-borne disease in neighborhood dogs in southern brazil.neighborhood dogs may act as reservoirs and disseminators of vector-borne diseases in urban areas. accordingly, the aim of this study was to ascertain the health status and the vector-borne pathogens infecting dogs living in public areas with high levels of human movement in the city of curitiba, southern brazil. blood samples from 21 neighborhood dogs that were found in nine of 22 bus stations and two public parks were subjected to a complete blood cell (cbc) count, serum biochemical profiling, ...201728331833
evaluation of modified 2-tiered serodiagnostic testing algorithms for early lyme disease.the conventional 2-tiered serologic testing protocol for lyme disease (ld), an enzyme immunoassay (eia) followed by immunoglobulin m and immunoglobulin g western blots, performs well in late-stage ld but is insensitive in patients with erythema migrans (em), the most common manifestation of the illness. western blots are also complex, difficult to interpret, and relatively expensive. in an effort to improve test performance and simplify testing in early ld, we evaluated several modified 2-tiered ...201728329259
activity of sulfa drugs and their combinations against stationary phase b. burgdorferi in vitro.lyme disease is a most common vector-borne disease in the us. although the majority of lyme patients can be cured with the standard two- to four-week antibiotic treatment, at least 10%-20% of patients continue to suffer from prolonged post-treatment lyme disease syndrome (ptlds). while the cause for this is unclear, one possibility is that persisting organisms are not killed by current lyme antibiotics. in our previous studies, we screened an fda drug library and an nci compound library on b. bu ...201728327498
ligand co-crystallization of aminoacyl-trna synthetases from infectious disease organisms.aminoacyl-trna synthetases (aarss) charge trnas with their cognate amino acid, an essential precursor step to loading of charged trnas onto the ribosome and addition of the amino acid to the growing polypeptide chain during protein synthesis. because of this important biological function, aminoacyl-trna synthetases have been the focus of anti-infective drug development efforts and two aars inhibitors have been approved as drugs. several researchers in the scientific community requested aminoacyl ...201728303005
lyme disease: emergency department considerations.lyme disease (ld) is the most common vector-borne illness in north america. reported cases of ld have increased from approximately 10,000 cases annually in 1991 to >25,000 cases in 2014. greater recognition, enhanced surveillance, and public education have contributed to the increased prevalence, as have geographic expansion and the number of infected ticks. cases are reported primarily in the northeastern united states, wisconsin, and minnesota, with children having the highest incidence of ld ...201728291638
ticks and borrelia in urban and peri-urban green space habitats in a city in southern england.ticks are becoming increasingly recognised as important vectors of pathogens in urban and peri-urban areas, including green space used for recreational activities. in the uk, the risk posed by ticks in such areas is largely unknown. in order to begin to assess the risk of ticks in urban/peri-urban areas in southern england, questing ticks were collected from five different habitat types (grassland, hedge, park, woodland and woodland edge) in a city during the spring, summer and autumn of 2013/20 ...201728089123
the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the invasion of ixodes scapularis in ontario, canada.in northeastern north america, the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis, is the vector of numerous tick-borne pathogens, including the agent of lyme disease, borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. since 1990, there has been a rapid spread of i. scapularis northward into the province of ontario, canada. climate change has been implicated as one of the driving factors for the spread of this vector. other ecological factors also influence survival of i. scapularis populations and may facilitate invasio ...201728359751
borrelia burgdorferi manipulates innate and adaptive immunity to establish persistence in rodent reservoir hosts.borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex is capable of establishing persistent infections in a wide variety of species, particularly rodents. infection is asymptomatic or mild in most reservoir host species, indicating successful co-evolution of the pathogen with its natural hosts. however, infected humans and other incidental hosts can develop lyme disease, a serious inflammatory syndrome characterized by tissue inflammation of joints, heart, muscles, skin, and cns. although b. burgdorfe ...201728265270
comparison of vector efficiency of ixodes scapularis (acari: ixodidae) from the northeast and upper midwest of the united states for the lyme disease spirochete borrelia mayonii.borrelia mayonii, a recently recognized species within the borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex, has been detected in host-seeking ixodes scapularis say ticks and found to be associated with lyme disease in the upper midwest. this spirochete has, to date, not been documented from the northeast, but we previously demonstrated that i. scapularis ticks originating from connecticut are capable of serving as a vector of b. mayonii in this follow-up study, we compared the vector efficiency for b. m ...201728082653
manifestations of lyme carditis.the first data of lyme carditis, a relatively rare manifestation of lyme disease, were published in eighties of the last century. clinical manifestations include syncope, light-headedness, fainting, shortness of breath, palpitations, and/or chest pain. atrioventricular (av) electrical block of varying severity presents the most common conduction disorder in lyme carditis. although is usually mild, av block can fluctuates rapidly and progress from a prolonged p-r interval to a his-purkinje block ...201728082088
t-helper 17 cell cytokine responses in lyme disease correlate with borrelia burgdorferi antibodies during early infection and with autoantibodies late in the illness in patients with antibiotic-refractory lyme arthritis.control of lyme disease is attributed predominantly to innate and adaptive t-helper 1 cell (th1) immune responses, whereas the role of t-helper 17 cell (th17) responses is less clear. here we characterized these inflammatory responses in patients with erythema migrans (em) or lyme arthritis (la) to elucidate their role early and late in the infection.201728077518
microrna expression shows inflammatory dysregulation and tumor-like proliferative responses in joints of patients with post-infectious lyme arthritis.lyme arthritis (la) is caused by infection with borrelia burgdorferi and usually resolves following spirochetal killing with antibiotics. however, in some patients, arthritis persists after antibiotic therapy. to provide insights into underlying pathogenic processes associated with post-infectious la, we analyzed differences in microrna expression between la patients with active infection compared with those with post-infectious la.201728076897
comprehensive spatial analysis of the borrelia burgdorferi lipoproteome reveals a compartmentalization bias toward the bacterial surface.the lyme disease spirochete borrelia burgdorferi is unique among bacteria in its large number of lipoproteins that are encoded by a small, exceptionally fragmented, and predominantly linear genome. peripherally anchored in either the inner or outer membrane and facing either the periplasm or the external environment, these lipoproteins assume varied roles. a prominent subset of lipoproteins functioning as the apparent linchpins of the enzootic tick-vertebrate infection cycle have been explored a ...201728069820
nested-pcr real time as alternative molecular tool for detection of borrelia burgdorferi compared to the classical serological diagnosis of the blood.lyme disease, caused by borrelia burgdorferi, is a multisystem disease that often makes difficulties to recognize caused by their genetic heterogenity. currently, the gold standard for the detection of lyme disease (ld) is serologic diagnostics based mainly on tests: elisa and western blot (wb). these methods, however, are subject to consider- able defect, especially in the initial phase of infection due to the occurrence of so-called serological window period and low specificity. for this reaso ...201728146622
epitope mapping of borrelia burgdorferi ospc protein in homodimeric fold.in current work, we used recombinant ospc protein derived from b. afzelii strain brz31 in the native homodimeric fold for mice immunization and following selection process to produce three mouse monoclonal antibodies able to bind to variable parts of up to five different ospc proteins. applying the combination of mass spectrometry assisted epitope mapping and affinity based theoretical prediction we have localized regions responsible for antigen-antibody interactions and approximate epitopes' am ...201728142214
influences of host community characteristics on borrelia burgdorferi infection prevalence in blacklegged ticks.lyme disease is a major vector-borne bacterial disease in the usa. the disease is caused by borrelia burgdorferi, and transmitted among hosts and humans, primarily by blacklegged ticks (ixodes scapularis). the ~25 b. burgdorferi genotypes, based on genotypic variation of their outer surface protein c (ospc), can be phenotypically separated as strains that primarily cause human diseases-human invasive strains (his)-or those that rarely do. additionally, the genotypes are non-randomly associated w ...201728095423
microrna and mrna transcriptome profiling in primary human astrocytes infected with borrelia burgdorferi.lyme disease is caused by infection with the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi (bb), which is transmitted to humans by deer ticks. the infection manifests usually as a rash and minor systemic symptoms; however, the bacteria can spread to other tissues, causing joint pain, carditis, and neurological symptoms. lyme neuroborreliosis presents itself in several ways, such as bell's palsy, meningitis, and encephalitis. the molecular basis for neuroborreliosis is poorly understood. analysis of the changes ...201728135303
common and uncommon neurological manifestations of neuroborreliosis leading to hospitalization.neuroborreliosis represents a relevant infectious disease and can cause a variety of neurological manifestations. different stages and syndromes are described and atypical symptoms can result in diagnostic delay or misdiagnosis. the aim of this retrospective study was to define the pivotal neurological deficits in patients with neuroborreliosis that were the reason for admission in a hospital.201728109263
macrophage ltb4 drives efficient phagocytosis of borrelia burgdorferi via blt1 or blt2.unresolved experimental lyme arthritis in c3h 5-lipoxygenase (5-lox)(-/-) mice is associated with impaired macrophage phagocytosis of borrelia burgdorferi in the present study, we further investigated the effects of the 5-lox metabolite, leukotriene (lt)b4 on phagocytosis of b. burgdorferi bone marrow-derived macrophages (bmdms) from 5-lox(-/-) mice were defective in the uptake and killing of b. burgdorferi from the earliest stages of spirochete internalization. bmdms from mice deficient for the ...201728053185
dna barcodes identify medically important tick species in canada.medically important ticks (acari: ixodidae) are often difficult to identify morphologically. a standardized, molecular approach using a 658 base pair dna barcode sequence (from the 5' region of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit i gene) was evaluated for its effectiveness in discriminating ticks in north america, with an emphasis on canadian ticks. dna barcodes were generated for 96 of 154 specimens representing 26 ixodid species. a genetic cluster analysis was performed on the barco ...201727918193
a critical appraisal of the mild axonal peripheral neuropathy of late neurologic lyme disease.in older studies, a chronic distal symmetric sensory neuropathy was reported as a relatively common manifestation of late lyme disease in the united states. however, the original papers describing this entity had notable inconsistencies and certain inexplicable findings, such as reports that this condition developed in patients despite prior antibiotic treatment known to be highly effective for other manifestations of lyme disease. more recent literature suggests that this entity is seen rarely, ...201727914746
spermine and spermidine alter gene expression and antigenic profile of borrelia burgdorferi.borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of lyme disease, responds to numerous host-derived signals to alter adaptive capabilities during its enzootic cycle in an arthropod vector and mammalian host. molecular mechanisms that enable b. burgdorferi to detect, channel, and respond to these signals have become an intense area of study for developing strategies to limit transmission/infection. bioinformatic analysis of the borrelial genome revealed the presence of polyamine transport components (pota, potb, ...201728052993
tick humoral responses: marching to the beat of a different drummer.ticks transmit a variety of human pathogens, including borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of lyme disease. multiple pathogens that are transmitted simultaneously, termed "coinfections," are of increasing importance and can affect disease outcome in a host. arthropod immunity is central to pathogen acquisition and transmission by the tick. pattern recognition receptors recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns and induce humoral responses through the toll and immune deficiency (im ...201728261180
detection of lyme disease bacterium, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, in blacklegged ticks collected in the grand river valley, ontario, canada.we document the presence of blacklegged ticks, ixodes scapularis, in the grand river valley, centre wellington, ontario. overall, 15 (36%) of 42 i. scapularis adults collected from 41 mammalian hosts (dogs, cats, humans) were positive for the lyme disease bacterium, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.). using real-time pcr testing and dna sequencing of the flagellin (fla) gene, we determined that borrelia amplicons extracted from i. scapularis adults belonged to b. burgdorferi sensu stricto (s ...201728260991
a high-throughput genetic screen identifies previously uncharacterized borrelia burgdorferi genes important for resistance against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of lyme disease in humans, is exposed to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ros and rns) in both the tick vector and vertebrate reservoir hosts. b. burgdorferi contains a limited repertoire of canonical oxidative stress response genes, suggesting that novel gene functions may be important for protection of b. burgdorferi against ros or rns exposure. here, we use transposon insertion sequencing (tn-seq) to conduct an unbiased search for genes involved ...201728212410
aprepitant limits in vivo neuroinflammatory responses in a rhesus model of lyme neuroborreliosis.substance p (sp) is produced at high levels in the central nervous system (cns), and its target receptor, neurokinin 1 receptor (nk-1r), is expressed by glia and leukocytes. this tachykinin functions to exacerbate inflammatory responses at peripheral sites. moreover, sp/nk-1r interactions have recently been associated with severe neuroinflammation and neuronal damage. we have previously demonstrated that nk-1r antagonists can limit neuroinflammatory damage in a mouse model of bacterial meningiti ...201728202084
plasmid diversity and phylogenetic consistency in the lyme disease agent borrelia burgdorferi.bacteria from the genus borrelia are known to harbor numerous linear and circular plasmids. we report here a comparative analysis of the nucleotide sequences of 236 plasmids present in fourteen independent isolates of the lyme disease agent b. burgdorferi.201728201991
[cxcl-13 as a biomarker in the diagnostics of neuroborreliosis].the chemokine cxcl-13 is a potential intrathecal biomarker for neuroborreliosis (nb). according to the literature the sensitivity of cxcl-13 in the diagnostics of nb varies between 88% and 100% and the specificity between 63% and 99.7%. the objective of this study was to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of cxcl-13 in the diagnosis of nb in an endemic area of borrelia burgdorferi.201728184973
presence of borrelia in different populations of ixodes pararicinus from northwestern argentina.this work was performed to evaluate the presence of borrelia in different populations of ixodes pararicinus from northwestern argentina (jujuy, salta and tucumán provinces). questing adults and nymphs of i. pararicinus were collected from vegetation, and i. pararicinus nymphs were also collected on birds. eighty-two ticks were tested for borrelia presence by pcr targeting the gene flagellin and the rrfa-rrlb intergenic spacer region. pools of ticks positive to borrelia were formed by two nymphs ...201728262480
safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein a (ospa) vaccine: a meta-analysis.lyme borreliosis, caused by borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the united states and by several borrelia species in europe and asia, has a great impact on the health of the global population. there are human vaccines available, such as the outer surface protein a (ospa) vaccine, but still more evidence is needed to verify its function. we investigated the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted vaccines containing protective epitopes from borrelia species ospa ser ...201728141584
infectious agents and neurodegenerative diseases: exploring the links.recent studies have shown that bacterial and viral infections are risk factors for various neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als), multiple sclerosis (ms), alzheimer's disease (ad), and lyme disease (ld). however, it is still controversial how the infections play a role in neurological diseases progression. infections in central nervous system may lead multiple damages in infected and neighboring cells. the infection leads to the activation of inflammatory process ...201728049398
topical azithromycin for the prevention of lyme borreliosis: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 efficacy trial.lyme borreliosis develops in 1-5% of individuals bitten by ticks, but with a diagnostic gap affecting up to 30% of patients, a broadly applicable pharmacological prevention strategy is needed. topical azithromycin effectively eradicated borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from the skin in preclinical studies. we assessed its efficacy in human beings.201728007428
estimation of cognitive and affective disorders occurrence in patients with lyme borreliosis.lyme borreliosis (lb) is a disease caused by the bacteria borrelia burgdorferi. the most common symptoms are related to the skin, musculo-scelatal system, central and peripheral nervous system, rarely to the heart muscle and the eye, and may occur in the multistage course of the disease. lb may additionally be accompanied by psychopathological symptoms. the aim of the study is estimation of the cognitive and affective disorders occurence in patients with lb.201728378969
no association between borrelia burgdorferi antibodies and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a case-control study.previous studies, mostly case reports and uncontrolled studies, provide a low level of evidence for the hypothesized link between lyme disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als). in order to make evidence-based recommendations regarding testing for borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in the diagnostic work-up for als, the objective of this study was to explore the evidence for an association between these antibodies and als in a case-control design including age-, gender- and residency-matched ...201728000348
the domestic pig as a potential model for borrelia skin infection.the skin lesion erythema migrans is a characteristic early manifestation of lyme borreliosis in humans. however, the pathomechanisms leading to development of this erythema are not fully understood. models that mimic human skin would enhance research in this field. human and porcine skin structures strongly resemble each other. therefore, we attempted to induce erythema migrans lesions in experimental borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato infection in the skin of domestic pigs. the formation of erythe ...201727986402
outer membrane proteins bb0405 and bb0406 are immunogenic, but only bb0405 is required for borrelia burgdorferi infection.we recently identified the borrelia burgdorferi outer membrane protein (omp) bb0406 and found that the gene encoding this omp was cotranscribed with the gene encoding the omp bb0405. interestingly, bb0405 and bb0406 share 59% similarity and are grouped into the same b. burgdorferi paralogous gene family. given their overall similarity, it is plausible that both omps have similar or overlapping functions in this pathogenic spirochete. bb0405 was recently shown to be required for mammalian infecti ...201727920211
antibody responses to borrelia burgdorferi detected by western blot vary geographically in canada.lyme disease is emerging in eastern and central canada, and most cases are diagnosed using the two-tier serological test (enzyme immuno assay [eia] followed by western blot [wb]). simplification of this algorithm would be advantageous unless it impacts test performance. in this study, accuracy of individual proteins of the igg wb algorithm in predicting the overall test result in samples from canadians was assessed. because borrelia burgdorferi strains vary geographically in canada, geographic v ...201728182723
the borrelia burgdorferi telomere resolvase, rest, possesses atp-dependent dna unwinding activity. 201728180323
genome scaffolding and annotation for the pathogen vector ixodes ricinus by ultra-long single molecule sequencing.global warming and other ecological changes have facilitated the expansion of ixodes ricinus tick populations. ixodes ricinus is the most important carrier of vector-borne pathogens in europe, transmitting viruses, protozoa and bacteria, in particular borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato), the causative agent of lyme borreliosis, the most prevalent vector-borne disease in humans in the northern hemisphere. to faster control this disease vector, a better understanding of the i. ricinus tick is necess ...201728179027
[neuroborreliosis - diagnostics, treatment and course].lyme neuroborreliosis is a tick-borne infectious disease caused by the spirochete bacterium borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. clinical manifestations are classified as early and late lyme neuroborreliosis. early manifestations are much more common than late manifestations. serological testing should only be performed when typical neurological symptoms are present because false positive results are common due to a high seroprevalence in the population. cerebrospinal fluid (csf) analysis should be ...201728175945
closely-related borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto) strains exhibit similar fitness in single infections and asymmetric competition in multiple infections.wild hosts are commonly co-infected with complex, genetically diverse, pathogen communities. competition is expected between genetically or ecologically similar pathogen strains which may influence patterns of coexistence. however, there is little data on how specific strains of these diverse pathogen species interact within the host and how this impacts pathogen persistence in nature. ticks are the most common disease vector in temperate regions with borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of ...201728166814
borrelia burgdorferi bbi39 paralogs are targets of protective immunity inducing microbicidal responses and reducing pathogen persistence either in hosts or in the vector. 201728158751
correlation between antigenicity and variability in the vls antigenic variation system of borrelia burgdorferi.many parasites have evolved antigenic variation systems that alter surface proteins in order to evade recognition by presently expressed antibodies and subsequent death. although the amino acid positions in antigens to which antibodies most commonly target are expected to be the most variable, this assumption has not been investigated. using the vls antigenic variation system of borrelia burgdorferi as a model, we first investigated this assumption computationally and then developed a sensitive ...201728087455
presence of borrelia turdi and borrelia valaisiana (spirochaetales: spirochaetaceae) in ticks removed from birds in the north of spain, 2009-2011.the genus borrelia includes species responsible for severe human diseases such as lyme disease. birds are involved in their epidemiology as dispersers of infected ticks (ixodida: ixodidae) and as reservoirs or amplifiers of the bacterium. herein, the presence of borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) johnson, schmid, hyde, steigerwalt & brenner in 336 ticks collected from birds in the north of spain from 2009 to 2011 was investigated. nucleic acid extracts from 174 ixodes frontalis (panzer), 108 ...201728082654
american woman with early lyme borreliosis diagnosed in a colombian hospital. 201728153712
Refresh
firstprev
12345678910...
nextlast
Displaying items 1 - 100 of 15661