Borrelia persica Infection in Immunocompetent Mice - A New Tool to Study the Infection Kinetics In Vivo
نویسندگان
چکیده
Borrelia persica, a bacterium transmitted by the soft tick Ornithodoros tholozani, causes tick-borne relapsing fever in humans in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian peninsula. Immunocompetent C3H/HeOuJ mice were infected intradermally with B. persica at varying doses: 1 x 10(6), 1 x 10(4), 1 x 10(2) and 4 x 10(0) spirochetes/mouse. Subsequently, blood samples were collected and screened for the presence of B. persica DNA. Spirochetes were detected in all mice infected with 1 x 10(6), 1 x 10(4) and 1 x 10(2) borrelia by real-time PCR targeting the flaB gene of the bacterium. Spirochetemia developed with a one- to two-day delay when 1 x 10(4) and 1 x 10(2) borrelia were inoculated. Mice injected with only four organisms were negative in all tests. No clinical signs were observed when infected mice were compared to negative control animals. Organs (heart, spleen, urinary bladder, tarsal joint, skin and brain) were tested for B. persica-specific DNA and cultured for the detection of viable spirochetes. Compiled data show that the target organs of B. persica infections are the brain and the skin. A newly developed serological two-tiered test system (ELISA and western blot) for the detection of murine IgM, IgG and IgA antibody titers against B. persica showed a vigorous antibody response of the mice during infection. In conclusion, the infection model described here for B. persica is a platform for in vivo studies to decipher the so far unexplored survival strategies of this Borrelia species.
منابع مشابه
بررسی تنوع فنوتیپی و آلودگی به بورلیا در جمعیتهای مختلف کنههای اورنیتودوروس تولوزانی استان زنجان
Bakground and Objective: The soft tick, Ornithodoros tholozani, is of major medical importance due to biting humans and taking blood-meal. Despite the medical importance of this tick, no in-depth studies have been carried out to distinguish different forms and their capability in transmitting the disease. To this end, this study was carried out to identify phenotypic diversity, and contaminatio...
متن کاملP REPARATION OF A NEW MEDIUM FOR IN VITRO CULTURE OF BORRELIA MICROTTI AND BORRELIA PERSICA
Borrelia microtti and Borrelia persica are two Iranian strains of spirochetes whose vectors are Ornithodorous tholozani and Ornithodorous erraticus which are responsible for relapsing fever. BSK medium has been used for in vitro culture of other strains of borrelia, although the two mentioned strains could not be successfully cultured in it. We have modified BSK medium by using guinea pig ...
متن کاملThe dbpBA locus of Borrelia burgdorferi is not essential for infection of mice.
The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi expresses a broad array of adhesive molecules, including the decorin-binding proteins A and B (DbpA and DbpB), which are believed to play important roles in mammalian infection. The dbpBA locus was deleted; resulting mutants were able to infect both immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice, indicating that neither DbpA nor DbpB is essential for t...
متن کاملHamster and Murine Models of Severe Destructive Lyme Arthritis
Arthritis is a frequent complication of infection in humans with Borrelia burgdorferi. Weeks to months following the onset of Lyme borreliosis, a histopathological reaction characteristic of synovitis including bone, joint, muscle, or tendon pain may occur. A subpopulation of patients may progress to a chronic, debilitating arthritis months to years after infection which has been classified as ...
متن کاملImmunoglobulin-regulated expression of Borrelia burgdorferi outer surface protein A in vivo.
Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, down-regulates outer surface protein A (OspA), which is abundantly expressed in ticks, during infection of the mammalian host. In this study we examined the signals that may be responsible for maintaining the OspA-negative state of spirochetes during infection. Transcription of ospA mRNA was found in tissues of C3H-severe combined immunodeficient...
متن کامل