Detection of antibodies in late Lyme disease

Experimental Borrelia burgdorferi infection in inbred mouse strains: antibody response and association of H-2 genes with resistance and susceptibility to development of arthritis

We have investigated the specific humoral immune response and its correlation to the development of disease after experimental inoculation of B. burgdorferi in different inbred strains of mice. All mouse strains tested showed high levels of specific IgM antibodies during the initial 10 days of infection. Specific IgG antibodies predominantly of the IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3 isotypes were found in increasing amounts by 14 days post infection. Antibody titers peaked at days 65 and 110. Particularly low titers of specific IgM and/or IgG antibodies were detected in sera of AKR/N and B10.BR mice. Antibodies specific for numerous B. burgdorferi antigens including the outer surface proteins A (31 kDa) and B (34 kDa) and a protein(s) of molecular mass of approximately 40 kDa, most probably 41 kDa (flagellin) and/or 39 kDa (p39), were induced in all inbred mouse strains within 2 weeks inoculation albeit in varying concentrations. Later during infection, the patterns of antibody specificities were much more complex. With regard to development of disease all strains of mice tested fall into three groups: (a) mice of H-2k haplotype (AKR/N, C3H/HeJ, C3H/HeN, B10.BR) developed a chronic progressive arthritis in the tibiotarsal joints, (b) mice of H-2 haplotypes, H-2b (C57BL/6), H-2j (B10.WB), H-2r (B10.R111) and H-2s (B10.S) developed arthritis of variable duration and intensity which was not progressive and (c) mice of H-2d haplotype (BALB/c, DBA/2, C.B-17, B10.D2, Cal.20), irrespective of their background genes or Igh allotype, showed no clinical signs of arthritis at any time point following inoculation of B. burgdorferi organisms. The finding of similar patterns of apparently protective antibodies in all mouse strains tested together with the striking association between the H-2d haplotype and resistance, and between the H-2k haplotype and the occurrence of B. burgdorferi-induced arthritis suggest a critical role of T cells in the development of the disease in mice.

Isolation and characterization of Borrelia burgdorferi from Illinois Ixodes dammini

Ixodes dammini ticks from two northwestern Illinois sites were found to be infected with Borrelia burgdorferi at rates of 19 and 32%. B. burgdorferi isolates, one from each site, had protein and antigenic patterns similar to those of the B-31 strain. An indirect immunofluorescence method proved to be more sensitive than dark-field microscopy in detection of these spirochetes. A modified BSK medium containing rifampin was found to be more efficient for spirochete isolation than unsupplemented BSK medium.