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Cente M, Danchenko M, Skultety L, Filipcik P, Sekeyova Z. Rickettsia Deregulates Genes Coding for the Neurotoxic Cell Response Pathways in Cerebrocortical Neurons In Vitro. Cells 2023; 12:cells12091235. [PMID: 37174635 PMCID: PMC10177168 DOI: 10.3390/cells12091235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rickettsial infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are manifested by severe neurological symptoms and represent a serious life-threatening condition. Despite the considerable health danger, only a few studies have been conducted focusing on the pathogenesis induced by Rickettsia sp. in CNS. To investigate the signaling pathways associated with the neurotoxic effects of rickettsiae, we employed an experimental model of cerebrocortical neurons combined with molecular profiling and comprehensive bioinformatic analysis. The cytopathic effect induced by Rickettsia akari and Rickettsia slovaca was demonstrated by decreased neuronal viability, structural changes in cell morphology, and extensive fragmentation of neurites in vitro. Targeted profiling revealed the deregulation of genes involved in the neuroinflammatory and neurotoxic cell response pathways. Although quantitative analysis showed differences in gene expression response, functional annotation revealed that the biological processes are largely shared between both Rickettsia species. The identified enriched pathways are associated with cytokine signaling, chemotaxis of immune cells, responses to infectious agents, interactions between neurons, endothelial and glial cells, and regulation of neuronal apoptotic processes. The findings of our study provide new insight into the etiopathogenesis of CNS infection and further expand the understanding of molecular signaling associated with neuroinvasive Rickettsia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Cente
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Danchenko
- Department of Rickettsiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ludovit Skultety
- Department of Rickettsiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Filipcik
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Zuzana Sekeyova
- Department of Rickettsiology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 845 05 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Kask L, Påhlson C, Staxäng K, Nilsson K. Signatures in in vitro infection of NSC-34 mouse neurons and their cell nucleus with Rickettsia helvetica. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:113. [PMID: 37085774 PMCID: PMC10120103 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02859-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsia helvetica, a spotted fever rickettsia, is transmitted to humans via ticks in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The central nervous system is a crucial target for rickettsial diseases, which has been reported for 12 of the 31 species, of which R. helvetica is one. This study aimed, in an experimental model, to identify characteristics of R. helvetica infection in a mouse neuronal cell line, NSC-34. RESULTS NSC-34, a fusion cell line of mouse motor spinal cord neurons and neuroblastoma cells, was used as a model. Propagation of R. helvetica in neurons was confirmed. Short actin tails were shown at the polar end of the bacteria, which makes it likely that they can move intracellularly, and even spread between cells. Another protein, Sca4, which with the cell adhesion protein vinculin enables the passage of the cell membrane, was expressed during infection. No significant increase in TNFα levels was seen in the infected neurons, which is of interest because TNFα protects the host cell from infection-induced apoptotic death which is crucial for host cell survival. The bacteria were also shown to invade and grow in the cell nucleus of the neuron. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that a R. helvetica infection may be harmful to NSC-34 neurons under these in vitro conditions, but the full effects of the infection on the cell need to be studied further, also on human neurons, to also understand the possible significance of this infection in relation to pathogenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Kask
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Carl Påhlson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Karin Staxäng
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology-Biovis Platform, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kenneth Nilsson
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Infectious Diseases, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Kim J, Seok H, Jeon JH, Choi WS, Seo GH, Park DW. Association of scrub typhus with incidence of dementia: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Korea. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:127. [PMID: 36859244 PMCID: PMC9976677 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08107-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scrub typhus is a mite-borne infectious rickettsial disease that can occur in rural and urban areas, with an especially high prevalence in older populations. This disease causes systemic vasculitis that can invade the central nervous system. Considering these characteristics, here we examined whether scrub typhus was associated with the occurrence of dementia, using large population-based cohort data. METHOD This population-based cohort study enrolled patients aged 60-89 years using data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database of South Korea between 2009 and 2018. We defined scrub typhus and dementia using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition diagnostic codes. The control group was stratified according to age and sex at a ratio of 1:5 to the case group in the study population. The index date was set after 90 days beyond the date of the scrub typhus diagnosis, while the observation period was from the time of the index appointment to December 31, 2020. The primary outcome was newly diagnosed dementia. The secondary outcome was dementia classification, such as Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and other. All analyses were conducted by matching age, gender, and comorbidity. RESULTS During the observation period, 10,460 of 71,047 (14.7%) people who had a history of scrub typhus versus 42,965 of 355,235 (12.1%) people in the control group, that is, with no history of scrub typhus, were diagnosed with dementia (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.15, p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier curves for time to cumulative incidence of dementia showed that the dementia incidence in both groups increased over time, while individuals with a past history of scrub typhus had a higher incidence of dementia than the control group. Second, the risk of Alzheimer's disease was significantly higher among patients with a history of scrub typhus (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval 1.13-1.18, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION In conclusion, a history of scrub typhus infection in old age is significantly associated with an increase in dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease. Our results suggest that prevention and appropriate treatment of scrub typhus should be emphasized as a dementia prevention measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jooyun Kim
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 123 Jeukgeum-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, 15355 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeri Seok
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 123 Jeukgeum-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, 15355 Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hoon Jeon
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 123 Jeukgeum-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, 15355 Republic of Korea
| | - Won Suk Choi
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 123 Jeukgeum-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, 15355 Republic of Korea
| | - Gi Hyeon Seo
- Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 60 Hyeoksin-ro, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 26465, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dae Won Park
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 123 Jeukgeum-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan, 15355, Republic of Korea.
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Culture Isolate of Rickettsia felis from a Tick. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19074321. [PMID: 35410003 PMCID: PMC8998211 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Although the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, has been identified as the primary vector of Rickettsia felis, additional flea, tick, mite, and louse species have also been associated with this bacterium by molecular means; however, the role of these arthropods in the transmission of R. felis has not been clarified. Here, we succeeded in culture isolation of R. felis from a host-seeking castor bean tick, Ixodes ricinus, the most common tick in Slovakia. The bacterial isolation was performed on XTC-2 cells at 28 °C using the shell-vial technique. An evaluation of the growth properties was performed for both the XTC-2 and Vero cell lines. We observed R. felis in the infected host cells microscopically by Gimenez staining and immunofluorescence assay. The R. felis isolate was purified by gradient ultracentrifugation and visualized by electron microscopy. Fragments of the genes gltA, ompA, ompB, htrA, rpoB, sca4, rffE, and rrs were amplified and compared with the corresponding sequences of the type strain URRWXCal2 and other R. felis culture -isolated strains. We did not detect any nucleotide polymorphisms; however, plasmid pRFδ, characteristic of the standard strain, was absent in our isolate. Herein, we describe the first successful isolation and characterization of a tick-derived R. felis strain “Danube”, obtained from an I. ricinus nymph.
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Chakravarthi ST, Joshi SG. An Association of Pathogens and Biofilms with Alzheimer's Disease. Microorganisms 2021; 10:microorganisms10010056. [PMID: 35056505 PMCID: PMC8778325 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
As one of the leading causes of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a condition in which individuals experience progressive cognitive decline. Although it is known that beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposits and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) of tau fibrils are hallmark characteristics of AD, the exact causes of these pathologies are still mostly unknown. Evidence that infectious diseases may cause AD pathology has been accumulating for decades. The association between microbial pathogens and AD is widely studied, and there are noticeable correlations between some bacterial species and AD pathologies, especially spirochetes and some of the oral microbes. Borrelia burgdorferi has been seen to correlate with Aβ plaques and NFTs in infected cells. Because of the evidence of spirochetes in AD patients, Treponema pallidum and other oral treponemes are speculated to be a potential cause of AD. T. pallidum has been seen to form aggregates in the brain when the disease disseminates to the brain that closely resemble the Aβ plaques of AD patients. This review examines the evidence as to whether pathogens could be the cause of AD and its pathology. It offers novel speculations that treponemes may be able to induce or correlate with Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandhya T. Chakravarthi
- Center for Surgical Infection and Biofilm, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Suresh G. Joshi
- Center for Surgical Infection and Biofilm, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
- Drexel School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +1-215-895-1988
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Fisher J, Card G, Soong L. Neuroinflammation associated with scrub typhus and spotted fever group rickettsioses. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008675. [PMID: 33091013 PMCID: PMC7580963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Scrub typhus and spotted fever rickettsioses (SFR) are understudied, vector-borne diseases of global significance. Over 1 billion individuals are at risk for scrub typhus alone in an endemic region, spanning across eastern and southern Asia to Northern Australia. While highly treatable, diagnostic challenges make timely antibiotic intervention difficult for these diseases. Delayed therapy may lead to severe outcomes affecting multiple organs, including the central nervous system (CNS), where infection and associated neuroinflammation may be lethal or lead to lasting sequelae. Meningitis and encephalitis are prevalent in both scrub typhus and SFR. Additionally, case reports detailing focal neurological deficits have come to light, with attention to both acute and chronic sequelae of infection. Despite the increasing number of clinical reports outlining neurologic consequences of these diseases, relatively little research has examined underlying mechanisms of neuroinflammation. Animal models of scrub typhus have identified cerebral T-cell infiltration and vascular damage associated with endothelial infection and neuropathogenesis. Differential gene expression analysis of brain tissues during murine scrub typhus have revealed selective increases in CXCR3 ligands, proinflammatory and type-1 cytokines and chemokines, and cytotoxicity molecules, as well as alterations in the complement pathway. In SFR, microglial expansion and macrophage infiltration contribute to neurological disease progression. This narrative Review highlights clinical neurologic features of scrub typhus and SFR and evaluates our current understanding of basic research into neuroinflammation for both diseases in animal models. Further investigation into key mediators of neuropathogenesis may yield prognostic markers and treatment regimens for severe patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Fisher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Galen Card
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Lynn Soong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
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Danchenko M, Csaderova L, Fournier PE, Sekeyova Z. Optimized fixation of actin filaments for improved indirect immunofluorescence staining of rickettsiae. BMC Res Notes 2019; 12:657. [PMID: 31619275 PMCID: PMC6794859 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-019-4699-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The objective was to investigate fixative solutions: 3.7% formaldehyde, 4% paraformaldehyde, 4% paraformaldehyde in the cytoskeletal buffer and 4% paraformaldehyde in PHEM buffer (containing PIPES, HEPES, EGTA and MgCl2), applicable for immunofluorescence assay. Results Herein we optimized this serological technique, testing four fixative solutions, for the sensitive detection of rickettsial antigens, and preservation of intracellular structures of the host cells, particularly filamentous actin. Rickettsial antigens were presented equally well both with formaldehyde and all paraformaldehyde-based fixations, but only protocol with 4% paraformaldehyde in PHEM buffer allowed accurate imaging of actin filaments, and simultaneously allows monitoring of rickettsiae using actin-based motility during infection inside the host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Danchenko
- Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lucia Csaderova
- Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Zuzana Sekeyova
- Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Sekeyová Z, Danchenko M, Filipčík P, Fournier PE. Rickettsial infections of the central nervous system. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007469. [PMID: 31465452 PMCID: PMC6715168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
As a result of migrations and globalization, people may face a possible increase in the incidence of central nervous system rickettsial infections (CNS R). These diseases, caused by Rickettsia species and transmitted to humans by arthropod bites, are putatively lethal. However, the diagnosis of CNS R is challenging and often delayed due to their nonspecific clinical presentation and the strict intracellular nature of rickettsiae. Furthermore, transfer of rickettsiae to the brain parenchyma is not yet understood. The aim of this review is to analyze and summarize the features and correlated findings of CNS R in order to focus attention on these intriguing but frequently neglected illnesses. We also incorporated data on CNS infections caused by Rickettsia-related microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Sekeyová
- Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Monika Danchenko
- Institute of Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Peter Filipčík
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Pierre Edouard Fournier
- Aix-Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, IHU Mediterranée-Infection, Marseille, France
- Centre National de Référence des Rickettsia, Coxiella et Bartonella, IHU Mediterranée-Infection, Marseille, France
- * E-mail:
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