Biology of Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi

Abstract

The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is a tick-borne obligate parasite whose normal reservoir is a variety of small mammals [1]. Whereas infection of these natural hosts does not lead to disease, infection of humans can result in Lyme disease, as a consequence of the human immunopathological response to B. burgdorferi [2,3]. Consistent with the pathogenesis of Lyme disease, bacterial products that allow B. burgdorferi to replicate and survive, rather than true "virulence factors," appear to be primarily what is required for the bacterium to cause disease in a susceptible host. In support of this idea, the genome sequence of B31, the type strain of B. burgdorferi sensu stricto [4,5], revealed that the bacterium lacks factors common to many bacterial pathogens, such as lipopolysaccharide, toxins, and specialized secretion systems. In this chapter, we will describe the basic biology of B. burgdorferi, and some of the bacterial components required to infect and survive in the mammalian and tick hosts.

The heterogeneous motility of the Lyme disease spirochete in gelatin mimics dissemination through tissue

“…The tick midgut seems to be a hospitable environment for Bb, as the spirochetes are found in high abundance at this site (21,36,37). However, during the blood meal, some spirochetes must leave the tick and transition to the mammalian host for the species to survive (38). Egress from the tick midgut is likely a difficult process, accomplished only by an astonishingly few spirochetes (21,39).…”

“…Once in the mammal, Bb need to disseminate through the host to evade the host immune response, enter the bloodstream, find hospitable tissue in which to replicate efficiently, and return to the dermis to infect new ticks (38). The translocaters, therefore, play a vital role in spirochete dissemination throughout the mammal.…”

Prevalence of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in humans from a Cuban village

“…OspC is the best and earliest marker for early Lyme disease and it is especially detected in IgM blots. 24 The most reliable bands for the detection of antibodies against B. burgdorferi B31 by IgG Western blot in European patients were those representing the 93, 39, 34, and 23-kDa proteins. 25 These proteins were also detected in the Cuban sera studied, except p39.…”

Application of Liposomes for Construction of Vaccines

“…In a few cases, antibiotic-refractory complications persist for months to years after antibiotic therapy, most likely due to infection-induced autoimmunity. Therefore, alternative approaches such as preventive immunisation are needed, mainly in the endemic areas (Krupka M, 2007;Tilly et al, 2008). Protective immune response to Borrelia involves non-specific activity of complement, phagocytic cells and Borrelia-specific Th1-dependent response leading to production of complement-activating antibodies, in mouse presented mostly by IgG2a (IgG2b).…”