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Ansari MA, Nguyen TT, Kocurek KI, Kim WTH, Kim TK, Mulenga A. Recombinant Ixodes scapularis Calreticulin Binds Complement Proteins but Does Not Protect Borrelia burgdorferi from Complement Killing. Pathogens 2024; 13:560. [PMID: 39057787 PMCID: PMC11280304 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13070560] [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: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ixodes scapularis is a blood-feeding obligate ectoparasite responsible for transmitting the Lyme disease (LD) agent, Borrelia burgdorferi. During the feeding process, I. scapularis injects B. burgdorferi into the host along with its saliva, facilitating the transmission and colonization of the LD agent. Tick calreticulin (CRT) is one of the earliest tick saliva proteins identified and is currently utilized as a biomarker for tick bites. Our recent findings revealed elevated levels of CRT in the saliva proteome of B. burgdorferi-infected I. scapularis nymphs compared to uninfected ticks. Differential precipitation of proteins (DiffPOP) and LC-MS/MS analyses were used to identify the interactions between Ixs (I. scapularis) CRT and human plasma proteins and further explore its potential role in shielding B. burgdorferi from complement killing. We observed that although yeast-expressed recombinant (r) IxsCRT binds to the C1 complex (C1q, C1r, and C1s), the activator of complement via the classical cascade, it did not inhibit the deposition of the membrane attack complex (MAC) via the classical pathway. Intriguingly, rIxsCRT binds intermediate complement proteins (C3, C5, and C9) and reduces MAC deposition through the lectin pathway. Despite the inhibition of MAC deposition in the lectin pathway, rIxsCRT did not protect a serum-sensitive B. burgdorferi strain (B314/pBBE22Luc) from complement-induced killing. As B. burgdorferi establishes a local dermal infection before disseminating to secondary organs, it is noteworthy that rIxsCRT promotes the replication of B. burgdorferi in culture. We hypothesize that rIxsCRT may contribute to the transmission and/or host colonization of B. burgdorferi by acting as a decoy activator of complement and by fostering B. burgdorferi replication at the transmission site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moiz Ashraf Ansari
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (M.A.A.); (T.-T.N.); (W.T.H.K.)
| | - Thu-Thuy Nguyen
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (M.A.A.); (T.-T.N.); (W.T.H.K.)
| | | | - William Tae Heung Kim
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (M.A.A.); (T.-T.N.); (W.T.H.K.)
| | - Tae Kwon Kim
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA;
| | - Albert Mulenga
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; (M.A.A.); (T.-T.N.); (W.T.H.K.)
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Faith DR, Kinnersley M, Brooks DM, Drecktrah D, Hall LS, Luo E, Santiago-Frangos A, Wachter J, Samuels DS, Secor PR. Characterization and genomic analysis of the Lyme disease spirochete bacteriophage ϕBB-1. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012122. [PMID: 38558079 PMCID: PMC11008901 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi. Borrelia species have highly fragmented genomes composed of a linear chromosome and a constellation of linear and circular plasmids some of which are required throughout the enzootic cycle. Included in this plasmid repertoire by almost all Lyme disease spirochetes are the 32-kb circular plasmid cp32 prophages that are capable of lytic replication to produce infectious virions called ϕBB-1. While the B. burgdorferi genome contains evidence of horizontal transfer, the mechanisms of gene transfer between strains remain unclear. While we know that ϕBB-1 transduces cp32 and shuttle vector DNA during in vitro cultivation, the extent of ϕBB-1 DNA transfer is not clear. Herein, we use proteomics and long-read sequencing to further characterize ϕBB-1 virions. Our studies identified the cp32 pac region and revealed that ϕBB-1 packages linear cp32s via a headful mechanism with preferential packaging of plasmids containing the cp32 pac region. Additionally, we find ϕBB-1 packages fragments of the linear chromosome and full-length plasmids including lp54, cp26, and others. Furthermore, sequencing of ϕBB-1 packaged DNA allowed us to resolve the covalently closed hairpin telomeres for the linear B. burgdorferi chromosome and most linear plasmids in strain CA-11.2A. Collectively, our results shed light on the biology of the ubiquitous ϕBB-1 phage and further implicates ϕBB-1 in the generalized transduction of diverse genes and the maintenance of genetic diversity in Lyme disease spirochetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominick R. Faith
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Margie Kinnersley
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Diane M. Brooks
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Laura S. Hall
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Eric Luo
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Andrew Santiago-Frangos
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jenny Wachter
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - D. Scott Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
| | - Patrick R. Secor
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, United States of America
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Faith DR, Kinnersley M, Brooks DM, Drecktrah D, Hall LS, Luo E, Santiago-Frangos A, Wachter J, Samuels DS, Secor PR. Characterization and genomic analysis of the Lyme disease spirochete bacteriophage ϕBB-1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574763. [PMID: 38260690 PMCID: PMC10802411 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia (Borreliella) burgdorferi. Borrelia species have highly fragmented genomes composed of a linear chromosome and a constellation of linear and circular plasmids some of which are required throughout the enzootic cycle. Included in this plasmid repertoire by almost all Lyme disease spirochetes are the 32-kb circular plasmid cp32 prophages that are capable of lytic replication to produce infectious virions called ϕBB-1. While the B. burgdorferi genome contains evidence of horizontal transfer, the mechanisms of gene transfer between strains remain unclear. While we know that ϕBB-1 transduces cp32 and shuttle vector DNA during in vitro cultivation, the extent of ϕBB-1 DNA transfer is not clear. Herein, we use proteomics and long-read sequencing to further characterize ϕBB-1 virions. Our studies identified the cp32 pac region and revealed that ϕBB-1 packages linear cp32s via a headful mechanism with preferentially packaging of plasmids containing the cp32 pac region. Additionally, we find ϕBB-1 packages fragments of the linear chromosome and full-length plasmids including lp54, cp26, and others. Furthermore, sequencing of ϕBB-1 packaged DNA allowed us to resolve the covalently closed hairpin telomeres for the linear B. burgdorferi chromosome and most linear plasmids in strain CA-11.2A. Collectively, our results shed light on the biology of the ubiquitous ϕBB-1 phage and further implicates ϕBB-1 in the generalized transduction of diverse genes and the maintenance of genetic diversity in Lyme disease spirochetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominick R. Faith
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Margie Kinnersley
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Diane M. Brooks
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Dan Drecktrah
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Laura S. Hall
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Eric Luo
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Jenny Wachter
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - D. Scott Samuels
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Patrick R. Secor
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
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Miyakoshi A, Niimi H, Ueno T, Wakasugi M, Higashi Y, Miyajima Y, Mori M, Tabata H, Minami H, Takaoka A, Hayashi A, Yamamoto Y, Kitajima I. Novel rapid method for identifying and quantifying pathogenic bacteria within four hours of blood collection. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1199. [PMID: 38216600 PMCID: PMC10786899 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50864-0] [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: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Sepsis is life-threatening organ dysfunction and is considered a major cause of health loss. However, since the current biomarkers of sepsis reflect the host's immune response to microorganisms, they would inevitably cause a time-lag. This means that there is still no truly reliable biomarker of sepsis. In the present study, we developed a novel method for identifying and quantifying unknown pathogenic bacteria within four hours of sample collection. The most important point of this study is that the novel method can be used to determine the number of bacteria in a sample as a novel biomarker of infectious diseases. Indeed, based on the number of bacteria, we were able to accurately estimate the severity of microbial infection. Furthermore, using the time-dependent changes in the number of bacteria, we were able to monitor the therapeutic effect accurately. The rapid identification and quantification of bacteria may change our approach to medical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akio Miyakoshi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hideki Niimi
- Clinical Laboratory Center, Toyama University Hospital, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan.
| | - Tomohiro Ueno
- Clinical Laboratory Center, Toyama University Hospital, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Masahiro Wakasugi
- Disaster and Emergency Center, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yoshitsugu Higashi
- Department of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yuki Miyajima
- Department of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Masashi Mori
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Nonoichi, Japan
| | - Homare Tabata
- Life Science Center, Hokkaido Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Sunagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Minami
- Life Science Center, Hokkaido Mitsui Chemicals, Inc., Sunagawa, Japan
| | - Akinori Takaoka
- Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hayashi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Yamamoto
- Department of Clinical Infectious Diseases, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Isao Kitajima
- Administrative Office, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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Pinheiro BG, Pôssa AP, Ricci G, Nishikaku AS, Hagen F, Hahn RC, de Camargo ZP, Rodrigues AM. Development of a Multiplex qPCR Assay for Fast Detection and Differentiation of Paracoccidioidomycosis Agents. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9030358. [PMID: 36983526 PMCID: PMC10057483 DOI: 10.3390/jof9030358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Classic paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a potentially deadly neglected tropical systemic mycosis caused by members of the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis complex (P. brasiliensis s. str., P. americana, P. restrepiensis, and P. venezuelensis) and P. lutzii. The laboratorial diagnosis of PCM relies on observing pathognomonic structures such as the “steering wheel” or “Mickey Mouse” shape in the direct mycological examination, fresh biopsied tissue in 10% KOH, histopathological analysis, and/or the isolation of the fungus in culture. However, these procedures are time-consuming and do not allow for the speciation of Paracoccidioides due to overlapping morphologies. Here, we propose a new one-tube multiplex probe-based qPCR assay to detect and recognize agents of the P. brasiliensis complex and P. lutzii. Primers (Paracoco-F and Paracoco-R) and TaqMan probes (PbraCx-Fam, Plu-Ned, and Paracoco-Vic) were developed to target the rDNA (ITS2/28S) in the Paracoccidioides genome. A panel of 77 Paracoccidioides isolates revealed a 100% specificity (AUC = 1.0, 95% CI 0.964–1.000, p < 0.0001) without cross-reacting with other medically relevant fungi or human and murine DNA. The lower limit of detection was 10 fg of gDNA and three copies of the partial rDNA amplicon. Speciation using qPCR was in perfect agreement with AFLP and TUB1-RFLP markers (kappa = 1.0). As a proof of concept, we assessed a panel of 16 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded specimens from histopathologically confirmed PCM patients to reveal a significant sensitivity of 81.25% and specificity of 100% (AUC = 0.906 ± 0.05, 95% CI = 0.756–0.979, p < 0.0001, Youden index J = 0.8125). Our assay achieved maximum sensitivity (100%) and specificity (100%) using fresh clinical samples (n = 9) such as sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, and tissue fragments from PCM patients (AUC = 1.0, 95% CI 0.872–1.000, p < 0.0001, Youden index J = 1.0). Overall, our qPCR assay simplifies the molecular diagnosis of PCM and can be easily implemented in any routine laboratory, decreasing a critical bottleneck for the early treatment of PCM patients across a vast area of the Americas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breno Gonçalves Pinheiro
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Pôssa
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Giannina Ricci
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Biologia Molecular Dr. Ivo Ricci, São Carlos 13561-020, Brazil
| | - Angela Satie Nishikaku
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Biologia Molecular Dr. Ivo Ricci, São Carlos 13561-020, Brazil
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rosane Christine Hahn
- Laboratory of Mycology/Research, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá 78060-900, Brazil
- Júlio Muller University Hospital, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá 78048-902, Brazil
| | - Zoilo Pires de Camargo
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Anderson Messias Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-1155764551 (ext. 1540)
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Ali A, Waris A, Khan MA, Asim M, Khan AU, Khan S, Zeb J. Recent advancement, immune responses, and mechanism of action of various vaccines against intracellular bacterial infections. Life Sci 2023; 314:121332. [PMID: 36584914 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.121332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Emerging and re-emerging bacterial infections are a serious threat to human and animal health. Extracellular bacteria are free-living, while facultative intracellular bacteria replicate inside eukaryotic host cells. Many serious human illnesses are now known to be caused by intracellular bacteria such as Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Rickettsia massiliae, Chlamydia species, Brucella abortus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Listeria monocytogenes, which result in substantial morbidity and mortality. Pathogens like Mycobacterium, Brucella, MRSA, Shigella, Listeria, and Salmonella can infiltrate and persist in mammalian host cells, particularly macrophages, where they proliferate and establish a repository, resulting in chronic and recurrent infections. The current treatment for these bacteria involves the application of narrow-spectrum antibiotics. FDA-approved vaccines against obligate intracellular bacterial infections are lacking. The development of vaccines against intracellular pathogenic bacteria are more difficult because host defense against these bacteria requires the activation of the cell-mediated pathway of the immune system, such as CD8+ T and CD4+ T. However, different types of vaccines, including live, attenuated, subunit, killed whole cell, nano-based and DNA vaccines are currently in clinical trials. Substantial development has been made in various vaccine strategies against intracellular pathogenic bacteria. This review focuses on the mechanism of intracellular bacterial infection, host immune response, and recent advancements in vaccine development strategies against various obligate intracellular bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmat Ali
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Waris
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Muhammad Ajmal Khan
- Division of Life Sciences, Center for Cancer Research and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurosciences, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
| | - Muhammad Asim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Atta Ullah Khan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Standardization and Measurement for Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China
| | - Sahrish Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Jehan Zeb
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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de Carvalho JA, Monteiro RC, Hagen F, de Camargo ZP, Rodrigues AM. Trends in Molecular Diagnostics and Genotyping Tools Applied for Emerging Sporothrix Species. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8080809. [PMID: 36012797 PMCID: PMC9409836 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Sporotrichosis is the most important subcutaneous mycosis that affects humans and animals worldwide. The mycosis is caused after a traumatic inoculation of fungal propagules into the host and may follow an animal or environmental transmission route. The main culprits of sporotrichosis are thermodimorphic Sporothrix species embedded in a clinical clade, including S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii, S. globosa, and S. luriei. Although sporotrichosis occurs worldwide, the etiological agents are not evenly distributed, as exemplified by ongoing outbreaks in Brazil and China, caused by S. brasiliensis and S. globosa, respectively. The gold standard for diagnosing sporotrichosis has been the isolation of the fungus in vitro. However, with the advance in molecular techniques, molecular assays have complemented and gradually replaced the classical mycological tests to quickly and accurately detect and/or differentiate molecular siblings in Sporothrix. Nearly all techniques available for molecular diagnosis of sporotrichosis involve PCR amplification, which is currently moving towards detecting Sporothrix DNA directly from clinical samples in multiplex qPCR assays. From an epidemiological perspective, genotyping is key to tracing back sources of Sporothrix infections, detecting diversity in outbreak areas, and thus uncovering finer-scale epidemiological patterns. Over the past decades, molecular epidemiological studies have provided essential information to policymakers regarding outbreak management. From high-to-low throughput genotyping methods, MLSA, AFLP, SSR, RAPD, PCR-RFLP, and WGS are available to assess the transmission dynamics and sporotrichosis expansion. This review discusses the trends in the molecular diagnosis of sporotrichosis, genotyping techniques applied in molecular epidemiological studies, and perspectives for the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamile Ambrósio de Carvalho
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (J.A.d.C.); (R.C.M.); (Z.P.d.C.)
| | - Ruan Campos Monteiro
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (J.A.d.C.); (R.C.M.); (Z.P.d.C.)
| | - Ferry Hagen
- Department of Medical Mycology, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands;
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Zoilo Pires de Camargo
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (J.A.d.C.); (R.C.M.); (Z.P.d.C.)
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil
| | - Anderson Messias Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (J.A.d.C.); (R.C.M.); (Z.P.d.C.)
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-1155764551 (ext. 1540)
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Divers TJ, Mongodin EF, Miller CB, Belgrave RL, Gardner RB, Fraser CM, Schutzer SE. Genomic hybrid capture assay to detect Borrelia burgdorferi: an application to diagnose neuroborreliosis in horses. J Vet Diagn Invest 2022; 34:909-912. [PMID: 35864735 DOI: 10.1177/10406387221112617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Antemortem diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in horses has been hindered by both the low sensitivity of PCR testing for Borrelia burgdorferi in CSF and the low specificity of serum:CSF ELISA ratios used to determine intrathecal antibody production against the bacterium. PCR testing of the CSF of an adult horse with acute neurologic disease for the B. burgdorferi flagellin gene was negative. However, we enriched B. burgdorferi DNA through nucleic acid hybrid capture, followed by next-generation sequencing, and identified B. burgdorferi in the CSF of the horse, confirming a diagnosis of neuroborreliosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Divers
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Emmanuel F Mongodin
- Institute of Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Claire M Fraser
- Institute of Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Steven E Schutzer
- Institute of Genome Sciences, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
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Akoolo L, Djokic V, Rocha SC, Parveen N. Pathogenesis of Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti in TLR4-Competent and TLR4-dysfunctional C3H mice. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13350. [PMID: 33938125 PMCID: PMC8459286 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are a class of membrane‐spanning proteins of host cells. TLR2 and TLR4 are displayed on the surface of macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells and recognise structurally conserved microbial signatures defined as Pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). C3H mice are susceptible to tick‐borne pathogens; Lyme disease causing Borrelia burgdorferi that manifests arthritis and carditis and Apicomplexan protozoan, Babesia microti (Bm) that causes significant parasitemia associated with erythrocytopenia and haemoglobinuria. B. burgdorferi lacks typical TLR4 ligand lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and Bm TLR ligand(s) remain unknown. Only Borrelia lipoproteins that signal through TLR2 are established as PAMPs of these pathogens for TLR2/TLR4. Infection of C3H mice with each pathogen individually resulted in increase in the percentage of splenic B, T and FcR+ cells while their co‐infection significantly diminished levels of these cells and caused increased B. burgdorferi burden in the specific organs. The most pronounced inflammatory arthritis was observed in co‐infected C3H/HeJ mice. Parasitemia levels and kinetics of resolution of Bm in both mice strains were not significantly different. Transfected HEK293 cells showed pronounced signalling by B. burgdorferi through TLR2 and to some extent by TLR4 while Bm and infected erythrocytes did not show any response confirming our results in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavoisier Akoolo
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Vitomir Djokic
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sandra C Rocha
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Nikhat Parveen
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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Pinheiro BG, Pôssa AP, Della Terra PP, de Carvalho JA, Ricci G, Nishikaku AS, Hahn RC, de Camargo ZP, Rodrigues AM. A New Duplex PCR-Assay for the Detection and Identification of Paracoccidioides Species. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:169. [PMID: 33652623 PMCID: PMC7996757 DOI: 10.3390/jof7030169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a life-threatening systemic fungal infection caused by members of the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis complex and P. lutzii. Routine diagnoses of PCM down to the species level using classical mycological approaches are unspecific due to overlapping phenotypes. There is an urgent need for specific, sensitive, and cost-effective molecular tools to diagnose PCM. Variation among the exon-2 of the gp43 gene was exploited to design species-specific primer pairs to discriminate between members of the P. brasiliensis complex and P. lutzii in a duplex PCR assay. Primer-BLAST searches revealed highly species-specific primers, and no significant region of homology was found against DNA databases except for Paracoccidioides species. Primers PbraCx-F and PbraCx-R targeting P. brasiliensis DNA produced an amplicon of 308 bp, while primers Plu-F and Plu-R targeting P. lutzii DNA generated an amplicon of 142 bp. The lower limit of detection for our duplex PCR assay was 1 pg of gDNA. A panel of 62 Paracoccidioides revealed 100% specificity (AUC = 1.000, 95%CI 0.972-1.000, p < 0.0001) without cross-reacting with other medically relevant fungi or human DNA. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated the accurate identification of the P. brasiliensis complex (n = 7) or P. lutzii (n = 6) from a broad range of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of PCM patient's organs. In four cases, FFPE PCR results confirmed, for the first time, co-infection due to P. brasiliensis (S1) and P. lutzii in the same biopsy. Our duplex PCR assay is useful to detect and differentiate members of the P. brasiliensis complex and P. lutzii, providing clinical laboratories with an important tool to be applied routinely, especially in atypical cases such as those featuring negative serology and positive mycological examination of clinical specimens as well as for the investigation of putative co-infection cases. This will likely benefit thousands of infected patients every year in a wide area of the Americas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breno Gonçalves Pinheiro
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (B.G.P.); (A.P.P.); (P.P.D.T.); (J.A.d.C.); (Z.P.d.C.)
| | - Ana Paula Pôssa
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (B.G.P.); (A.P.P.); (P.P.D.T.); (J.A.d.C.); (Z.P.d.C.)
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil
| | - Paula Portella Della Terra
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (B.G.P.); (A.P.P.); (P.P.D.T.); (J.A.d.C.); (Z.P.d.C.)
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil
| | - Jamile Ambrósio de Carvalho
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (B.G.P.); (A.P.P.); (P.P.D.T.); (J.A.d.C.); (Z.P.d.C.)
| | - Giannina Ricci
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Biologia Molecular Dr. Ivo Ricci, São Paulo 13561020, Brazil; (G.R.); (A.S.N.)
| | - Angela Satie Nishikaku
- Centro de Diagnóstico e Pesquisa em Biologia Molecular Dr. Ivo Ricci, São Paulo 13561020, Brazil; (G.R.); (A.S.N.)
| | - Rosane Christine Hahn
- Laboratory of Mycology/Research, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá 78060900, Brazil;
- Júlio Muller University Hospital, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá 78048902, Brazil
| | - Zoilo Pires de Camargo
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (B.G.P.); (A.P.P.); (P.P.D.T.); (J.A.d.C.); (Z.P.d.C.)
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil
| | - Anderson Messias Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Emerging Fungal Pathogens, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil; (B.G.P.); (A.P.P.); (P.P.D.T.); (J.A.d.C.); (Z.P.d.C.)
- Department of Medicine, Discipline of infectious Diseases, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo 04023062, Brazil
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11
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Goc A, Gehring G, Baltin H, Niedzwiecki A, Rath M. Specific composition of polyphenolic compounds with fatty acids as an approach in helping to reduce spirochete burden in Lyme disease: in vivo and human observational study. Ther Adv Chronic Dis 2020; 11:2040622320922005. [PMID: 32547720 PMCID: PMC7249567 DOI: 10.1177/2040622320922005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-borne infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. The current therapeutic approach to this disease is limited to antibiotics. However, after their administration, about 20% of patients experience delayed onset of this illness manifesting as lingering persistent symptoms. Methods: To determine a suitable approach that would help reduce this number, we examined the efficacy of a composition of polyphenolic compounds (baicalein, luteolin, and rosmarinic acid) with fatty acids (monolaurin and cis-2-decenoic acid), and iodine/kelp in a Lyme disease animal model and volunteers. Results: The results showed that 4 weeks of dietary intake of this composition reduced the spirochete burden in animal tissues by about 75%. Basic and differential blood parameters did not show significant differences between control animals and the animals fed with this composition. Also, hepatic and renal toxicity markers were not changed and apoptosis was not observed. Relevant inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, and INF-γ, were elevated in infected animals but normalized in infected and treated animals. A small observational study revealed that after administration of this composition to 17 volunteers three times per day for 6 months, 67.4% of the volunteers with late or persistent LD, and not receptive to previous antibiotic application, responded positively, in terms of energy status as well as physical and psychological wellbeing to supplementation with this composition, while 17.7% had slight improvement, and 17.7% were none responsive. Conclusion: We concluded that this specific composition revealed feasible benefits in late or persistent LD management, although double-blind controlled clinical trials are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Goc
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Rath Research Institute BV, 5941 Optical Ct, San Jose, CA 95138, USA
| | - Gebhard Gehring
- Private Praxisklinik H. Baltin, Aschau/Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Hartmut Baltin
- Private Praxisklinik H. Baltin, Aschau/Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Aleksandra Niedzwiecki
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Rath Research Institute BV, 5941 Optical Ct, San Jose, CA, USA
| | - Matthias Rath
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Rath Research Institute BV, San Jose, CA, USA
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12
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Prevention of transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum by Ixodes spp. ticks to dogs treated with the Seresto® collar (imidacloprid 10% + flumethrin 4.5%). Parasitol Res 2019; 119:299-315. [PMID: 31734862 PMCID: PMC6942034 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06394-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The capability of imidacloprid 10% + flumethrin 4.5% (Seresto®) collars to prevent transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum (Ap) by naturally infected ticks was evaluated in two studies with 44 dogs. In each study, one group served as non-treated control, whereas the other groups were treated with the Seresto® collar. All dogs were exposed to naturally Bbsl- and Ap-infected hard ticks (Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes scapularis). In study 1, tick infestation was performed on study day (SD) 63 (2 months post-treatment [p.t.]); in study 2, it was performed on SD 32 (one month p.t.) respectively SD 219 (seven months p.t.). In situ tick counts were performed 2 days after infestation. Tick counts and removals followed 6 (study 1) or 5 days (study 2) later. Blood sampling was performed for the detection of specific Bbsl and Ap antibodies and, in study 1, for the documentation of Ap DNA by PCR. Skin biopsies were examined for Bbsl by PCR and culture (only study 1). The efficacy against Ixodes spp. was 100% at all time points. In study 1, two of six non-treated dogs became infected with Bbsl, and four of six tested positive for Ap; none of the treated dogs tested positive for Bbsl or Ap. In study 2, ten of ten non-treated dogs became infected with Bbsl and Ap; none of the treated dogs tested positive for Bbsl or Ap; 100% acaricidal efficacy was shown in both studies. Transmission of Bbsl and Ap was successfully blocked for up to 7 months.
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13
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Borrelia burgdorferi chemotaxis toward tick protein Salp12 contributes to acquisition. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 10:1124-1134. [PMID: 31204044 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Lyme disease is a common tick-borne infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.). B. burgdorferi s.s. may utilize chemotaxis, the directional migration towards or away from a chemical stimulus, for transmission, acquisition, and infection. However, the specific signals recognized by the spirochete for these events have not been defined. In this study, we identify an Ixodes scapularis salivary gland protein, Salp12, that is a chemoattractant for the spirochete. We demonstrate that Salp12 is expressed in the I. scapularis salivary glands and midgut and expression is not impacted by B. burgdorferi s.s. infection. Knockdown of Salp12 in the salivary glands or passive immunization against Salp12 reduces acquisition of the spirochete by ticks but acquisition is not completely prevented. Knockdown does not impact transmission of B. burgdorferi s.s. This work suggests a new role for chemotaxis in acquisition of the spirochete and suggests that recognition of Salp12 contributes to this phenomenon.
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14
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Pecoraro HL, Felippe MJB, Miller AD, Divers TJ, Simpson KW, Guyer KM, Duhamel GE. Neuroborreliosis in a horse with common variable immunodeficiency. J Vet Diagn Invest 2019; 31:241-245. [PMID: 30661472 DOI: 10.1177/1040638718824146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a rare condition in adult horses characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and increased susceptibility to parasitic and bacterial infections, including recurrent respiratory diseases, septicemia, and meningitis. Lyme disease is often included as a differential diagnosis in CVID horses with signs of meningitis; however, the Borrelia burgdorferi organism has not been demonstrated previously within central nervous system tissues of CVID horses with neurologic disease, to our knowledge. We report herein a case of neuroborreliosis in a CVID horse, confirmed by combined immunologic testing, histopathology, real-time PCR assay, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical staining. Implications of these findings include heightened monitoring of CVID horses for Lyme disease in endemic areas and appropriate therapy in the case of neurologic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi L Pecoraro
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer)
| | - M Julia B Felippe
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer)
| | - Andrew D Miller
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer)
| | - Thomas J Divers
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer)
| | - Kenneth W Simpson
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer)
| | - Kimberly M Guyer
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer)
| | - Gerald E Duhamel
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.,Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer)
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15
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Sun T, Wang F, Pan W, Wu Q, Wang J, Dai J. An Immunosuppressive Tick Salivary Gland Protein DsCystatin Interferes With Toll-Like Receptor Signaling by Downregulating TRAF6. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1245. [PMID: 29922290 PMCID: PMC5996936 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ticks, blood-feeding arthropods, and secrete immunosuppressive molecules that inhibit host immune responses and provide survival advantages to pathogens. In this study, we characterized the immunosuppressive function of a novel tick salivary protein, DsCystatin, from Dermacentor silvarum of China. DsCystatin directly interacted with human Cathepsins L and B and inhibited their enzymatic activities. DsCystatin impaired the expression of inflammatory cytokines such as IL1β, IFNγ, TNFα, and IL6 from mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) that had been stimulated with LPS or Borrelia burgdorferi. Consistently, DsCystatin inhibited the activation of mouse BMDMs and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells by downregulating the surface expression of CD80 and CD86. Mechanically, DsCystatin inhibited LPS- or B. burgdorferi-induced NFκB activation. For the first time, we identified that DsCystatin-attenuated TLR4 signaling by targeting TRAF6. DsCystatin enhanced LPS-induced autophagy, mediated TRAF6 degradation via an autophagy dependent manner, thereby impeded the downstream phosphorylation of IκBα and the nuclear transport of NFκB. Finally, DsCystatin relieved the joint inflammation in B. burgdorferi or complete Freund's adjuvant induced mouse arthritis models. These data suggested that DsCystatin is a novel immunosuppressive protein and can potentially be used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ta Sun
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Fanqi Wang
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wen Pan
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qihan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, RID, Fudan Unversity, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingwen Wang
- School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Dai
- Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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16
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Zimara N, Chanyalew M, Aseffa A, van Zandbergen G, Lepenies B, Schmid M, Weiss R, Rascle A, Wege AK, Jantsch J, Schatz V, Brown GD, Ritter U. Dectin-1 Positive Dendritic Cells Expand after Infection with Leishmania major Parasites and Represent Promising Targets for Vaccine Development. Front Immunol 2018; 9:263. [PMID: 29535708 PMCID: PMC5834765 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistant mouse strains mount a protective T cell-mediated immune response upon infection with Leishmania (L.) parasites. Healing correlates with a T helper (Th) cell-type 1 response characterized by a pronounced IFN-γ production, while susceptibility is associated with an IL-4-dependent Th2-type response. It has been shown that dermal dendritic cells are crucial for inducing protective Th1-mediated immunity. Additionally, there is growing evidence that C-type lectin receptor (CLR)-mediated signaling is involved in directing adaptive immunity against pathogens. However, little is known about the function of the CLR Dectin-1 in modulating Th1- or Th2-type immune responses by DC subsets in leishmaniasis. We characterized the expression of Dectin-1 on CD11c+ DCs in peripheral blood, at the site of infection, and skin-draining lymph nodes of L. major-infected C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice and in peripheral blood of patients suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Both mouse strains responded with an expansion of Dectin-1+ DCs within the analyzed tissues. In accordance with the experimental model, Dectin-1+ DCs expanded as well in the peripheral blood of CL patients. To study the role of Dectin-1+ DCs in adaptive immunity against L. major, we analyzed the T cell stimulating potential of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) in the presence of the Dectin-1 agonist Curdlan. These experiments revealed that Curdlan induces the maturation of BMDCs and the expansion of Leishmania-specific CD4+ T cells. Based on these findings, we evaluated the impact of Curdlan/Dectin-1 interactions in experimental leishmaniasis and were able to demonstrate that the presence of Curdlan at the site of infection modulates the course of disease in BALB/c mice: wild-type BALB/c mice treated intradermally with Curdlan developed a protective immune response against L. major whereas Dectin-1-/- BALB/c mice still developed the fatal course of disease after Curdlan treatment. Furthermore, the vaccination of BALB/c mice with a combination of soluble L. major antigens and Curdlan was able to provide a partial protection from severe leishmaniasis. These findings indicate that the ligation of Dectin-1 on DCs acts as an important checkpoint in adaptive immunity against L. major and should therefore be considered in future whole-organism vaccination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Zimara
- Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology (RCI), Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Menberework Chanyalew
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Leishmaniasis Research Laboratory, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Abraham Aseffa
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Leishmaniasis Research Laboratory, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ger van Zandbergen
- Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, Division of Immunology, Paul Ehrlich Institute, Langen, Germany
| | - Bernd Lepenies
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Immunology Unit, Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), Hannover, Germany
| | - Maximilian Schmid
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Richard Weiss
- Department of Molecular Biology, Division of Allergy and Immunology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anne Rascle
- Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology (RCI), Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anja Kathrin Wege
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Jonathan Jantsch
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital of Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Valentin Schatz
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, University Hospital of Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gordon D. Brown
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Uwe Ritter
- Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology (RCI), Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center Regensburg, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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17
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Wills MKB, Kirby AM, Lloyd VK. Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR. J Vis Exp 2018. [PMID: 29443061 PMCID: PMC5912355 DOI: 10.3791/56471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is a serious vector-borne infection that is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato family of spirochetes, which are transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Ixodes ticks. The primary etiological agent in North America is Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. As geographic risk regions expand, it is prudent to support robust surveillance programs that can measure tick infection rates, and communicate findings to clinicians, veterinarians, and the general public. The molecular technique of nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) has long been used for this purpose, and it remains a central, inexpensive, and robust approach in the detection of Borrelia in both ticks and wildlife. This article demonstrates the application of nPCR to tick DNA extracts to identify infected specimens. Two independent B. burgdorferi targets, genes encoding Flagellin B (FlaB) and Outer surface protein A (OspA), have been used extensively with this technique. The protocol involves tick collection, DNA extraction, and then an initial round of PCR to detect each of the two Borrelia-specific loci. Subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) uses the product of the first reaction as a new template to generate smaller, internal amplification fragments. The nested approach improves upon both the specificity and sensitivity of conventional PCR. A tick is considered positive for the pathogen when inner amplicons from both Borrelia genes can be detected by agarose gel electrophoresis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vett K Lloyd
- Department of Biology, Mount Allison University;
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18
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Matsui H, Takahashi T, Murayama SY, Kawaguchi M, Matsuo K, Nakamura M. Protective efficacy of a hydroxy fatty acid against gastric Helicobacter infections. Helicobacter 2017; 22. [PMID: 28834011 DOI: 10.1111/hel.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We have previously revealed that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can prevent Helicobacter pylori infection by blocking the futalosine pathway, an alternative route for menaquinone (MK) biosynthesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS 1, Different H. pylori strains were grown in liquid media supplemented with linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, or its 10-hydroxy derivative, 10-hydroxy-cis-12-octadecenoic acid (HYA), in the presence or absence of MK. The bacterial numbers in the media were estimated by plating; 2, C57BL/6NCrl mice received drinking water supplemented with different fatty acids starting from 1 week before infection with H. pylori or Helicobacter suis until the end of the experiment. The gastric colonization levels of H. pylori or H. suis were determined 2 weeks after infection by plating or quantitative PCR, respectively; 3, Mice were given HYA, starting 1 week before infection with H. suis and continuing until 6 months after infection, for analysis of the gastric conditions. RESULTS 1, A low concentration (20 μmol/L) of HYA in culture broth suppressed the growth of H. pylori, and this inhibition was reduced by MK supplementation; 2, HYA treatment protected mice against H. pylori or H. suis infection; 3, HYA treatment suppressed the formation of lymphoid follicles in the gastric mucus layer after H. suis infection. CONCLUSIONS HYA prevents gastric Helicobacter infections by blocking their futalosine pathways. Daily HYA supplementation is effective for the prevention of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma induced by persistent infection with H. suis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Matsui
- Department of Infection Control and Immunology, Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences and Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, Kitasato University, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsufumi Takahashi
- Department of Kampo Pharmacy, Yokohama University of Pharmacy, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Somay Y Murayama
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Funabashi-shi, Chiba, Japan
| | | | - Koichi Matsuo
- Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Biology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiko Nakamura
- Center for Clinical Pharmacy and Clinical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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19
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Zhou W, Brisson D. Interactions between host immune response and antigenic variation that control Borrelia burgdorferi population dynamics. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2017; 163:1179-1188. [PMID: 28771127 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The population dynamics of pathogens within hosts result from interactions between host immune responses and mechanisms of the pathogen to evade or resist immune responses. Vertebrate hosts have evolved adaptive immune responses to eliminate the infection, while many pathogens evade immune clearance through altering surface antigens. Such interactions can result in a characteristic pattern of pathogen population dynamics within hosts consisting of population growth after infection, rapid population decline following specific immune responses, followed by persistence at low densities during a chronic infection stage. Despite the medical importance of chronic infections, little is known about the conditions of the interactions between variable antigens and the adaptive immune system that cause the characteristic pathogen population dynamics. Using the vls antigenic variation system of the Lyme disease pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi, as a model system, we investigated conditions of the interaction between the antigenic variation system and the adaptive immune response that can explain the within-host population dynamics of B. burgdorferi using mathematical modelling. This characteristic population dynamic pattern can be explained by models that assume a variable immune removal rate of antibody-bound B. burgdorferi. However, models with a constant immune removal rate could reproduce the rapid population decline of B. burgdorferi populations but not their long-term persistence within hosts using parameter values determined by fitting empirical data. The model predictions, along with the assumptions about the interactions between B. burgdorferi and the immune response, can be tested experimentally to estimate the likelihood that each mechanism affects B. burgdorferi population dynamics in real infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhou
- University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dustin Brisson
- University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Johnstone LK, Engiles JB, Aceto H, Buechner-Maxwell V, Divers T, Gardner R, Levine R, Scherrer N, Tewari D, Tomlinson J, Johnson AL. Retrospective Evaluation of Horses Diagnosed with Neuroborreliosis on Postmortem Examination: 16 Cases (2004-2015). J Vet Intern Med 2016; 30:1305-12. [PMID: 27327172 PMCID: PMC5094551 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.14369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 03/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Equine neuroborreliosis (NB), Lyme disease, is difficult to diagnose and has limited description in the literature. OBJECTIVE Provide a detailed description of clinical signs, diagnostic, and pathologic findings of horses with NB. ANIMALS Sixteen horses with histologically confirmed NB. METHODS Retrospective review of medical records at the University of Pennsylvania and via an ACVIM listserv query with inclusion criteria requiring possible exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi and histologic findings consistent with previous reports of NB without evidence of other disease. RESULTS Sixteen horses were identified, 12 of which had additional evidence of NB. Clinical signs were variable including muscle atrophy or weight loss (12), cranial nerve deficits (11), ataxia (10), changes in behavior (9), dysphagia (7), fasciculations (6), neck stiffness (6), episodic respiratory distress (5), uveitis (5), fever (2), joint effusion (2), and cardiac arrhythmias (1). Serologic analysis was positive for B. burgdorferi infection in 6/13 cases tested. CSF abnormalities were present in 8/13 cases tested, including xanthochromia (4/13), increased total protein (5/13; median: 91 mg/dL, range: 25-219 mg/dL), and a neutrophilic (6/13) or lymphocytic (2/13) pleocytosis (median: 25 nucleated cells/μL, range: 0-922 nucleated cells/μL). PCR on CSF for B. burgdorferi was negative in the 7 cases that were tested. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Diagnosis of equine NB is challenging due to variable clinical presentation and lack of sensitive and specific diagnostic tests. Negative serology and normal CSF analysis do not exclude the diagnosis of NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- L K Johnstone
- University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA
| | - J B Engiles
- University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA
| | - H Aceto
- University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA
| | - V Buechner-Maxwell
- Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA
| | - T Divers
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY
| | - R Gardner
- B.W. Furlong & Associates, Oldwick, NJ
| | - R Levine
- Henderson Veterinary Associates, Elizabethtown, PA
| | - N Scherrer
- University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA
| | - D Tewari
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA
| | - J Tomlinson
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY
| | - A L Johnson
- University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, Kennett Square, PA
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Muehlenbachs A, Bollweg BC, Schulz TJ, Forrester JD, DeLeon Carnes M, Molins C, Ray GS, Cummings PM, Ritter JM, Blau DM, Andrew TA, Prial M, Ng DL, Prahlow JA, Sanders JH, Shieh WJ, Paddock CD, Schriefer ME, Mead P, Zaki SR. Cardiac Tropism of Borrelia burgdorferi: An Autopsy Study of Sudden Cardiac Death Associated with Lyme Carditis. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2016; 186:1195-205. [PMID: 26968341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Fatal Lyme carditis caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi rarely is identified. Here, we describe the pathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings of five case patients. These sudden cardiac deaths associated with Lyme carditis occurred from late summer to fall, ages ranged from young adult to late 40s, and four patients were men. Autopsy tissue samples were evaluated by light microscopy, Warthin-Starry stain, immunohistochemistry, and PCR for B. burgdorferi, and immunohistochemistry for complement components C4d and C9, CD3, CD79a, and decorin. Post-mortem blood was tested by serology. Interstitial lymphocytic pancarditis in a relatively characteristic road map distribution was present in all cases. Cardiomyocyte necrosis was minimal, T cells outnumbered B cells, plasma cells were prominent, and mild fibrosis was present. Spirochetes in the cardiac interstitium associated with collagen fibers and co-localized with decorin. Rare spirochetes were seen in the leptomeninges of two cases by immunohistochemistry. Spirochetes were not seen in other organs examined, and joint tissue was not available for evaluation. Although rare, sudden cardiac death caused by Lyme disease might be an under-recognized entity and is characterized by pancarditis and marked tropism of spirochetes for cardiac tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atis Muehlenbachs
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Brigid C Bollweg
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Joseph D Forrester
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ft. Collins, Colorado
| | - Marlene DeLeon Carnes
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Claudia Molins
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ft. Collins, Colorado
| | | | | | - Jana M Ritter
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Dianna M Blau
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Thomas A Andrew
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Concord, New Hampshire
| | | | - Dianna L Ng
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Joseph A Prahlow
- The Medical Foundation, South Bend, Indiana; Indiana University School of Medicine-South Bend, South Bend, Indiana
| | - Jeanine H Sanders
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Wun Ju Shieh
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Christopher D Paddock
- Rickettsial Zoonotic Diseases Branch, Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Martin E Schriefer
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ft. Collins, Colorado
| | - Paul Mead
- Bacterial Diseases Branch, Division of Vector Borne Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ft. Collins, Colorado
| | - Sherif R Zaki
- Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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Syndromic Diagnostic Approaches to Bone and Joint infections. Mol Microbiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1128/9781555819071.ch29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Rodrigues AM, Najafzadeh MJ, de Hoog GS, de Camargo ZP. Rapid Identification of Emerging Human-Pathogenic Sporothrix Species with Rolling Circle Amplification. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1385. [PMID: 26696992 PMCID: PMC4672047 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Sporothrix infections are emerging as an important human and animal threat among otherwise healthy patients, especially in Brazil and China. Correct identification of sporotrichosis agents is beneficial for epidemiological surveillance, enabling implementation of adequate public-health policies and guiding antifungal therapy. In areas of limited resources where sporotrichosis is endemic, high-throughput detection methods that are specific and sensitive are preferred over phenotypic methods that usually result in misidentification of closely related Sporothrix species. We sought to establish rolling circle amplification (RCA) as a low-cost screening tool for species-specific identification of human-pathogenic Sporothrix. We developed six species-specific padlock probes targeting polymorphisms in the gene encoding calmodulin. BLAST-searches revealed candidate probes that were conserved intraspecifically; no significant homology with sequences from humans, mice, plants or microorganisms outside members of Sporothrix were found. The accuracy of our RCA-based assay was demonstrated through the specificity of probe-template binding to 25 S. brasiliensis, 58 S. schenckii, 5 S. globosa, 1 S. luriei, 4 S. mexicana, and 3 S. pallida samples. No cross reactivity between closely related species was evident in vitro, and padlock probes yielded 100% specificity and sensitivity down to 3 × 106 copies of the target sequence. RCA-based speciation matched identifications via phylogenetic analysis of the gene encoding calmodulin and the rDNA operon (kappa 1.0; 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.0), supporting its use as a reliable alternative to DNA sequencing. This method is a powerful tool for rapid identification and specific detection of medically relevant Sporothrix, and due to its robustness has potential for ecological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson M Rodrigues
- Cell Biology Division, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mohammad J Najafzadeh
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Ghaem Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Mashhad, Iran
| | - G Sybren de Hoog
- Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Zoilo P de Camargo
- Cell Biology Division, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
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Rodrigues AM, de Hoog GS, de Camargo ZP. Molecular Diagnosis of Pathogenic Sporothrix Species. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0004190. [PMID: 26623643 PMCID: PMC4666615 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sporotrichosis is a chronic (sub)cutaneous infection caused by thermodimorphic fungi in the order, Ophiostomatales. These fungi are characterized by major differences in routes of transmission, host predilections, species virulence, and susceptibilities to antifungals. Sporothrix species emerge in the form of outbreaks. Large zoonoses and sapronoses are ongoing in Brazil and China, respectively. Current diagnostic methods based on morphology and physiology are inaccurate due to closely related phenotypes with overlapping components between pathogenic and non-pathogenic Sporothrix. There is a critical need for new diagnostic tools that are specific, sensitive, and cost-effective. Methodology We developed a panel of novel markers, based on calmodulin (CAL) gene sequences, for the large-scale diagnosis and epidemiology of clinically relevant members of the Sporothrix genus, and its relative, Ophiostoma. We identified specific PCR-based markers for S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii, S. globosa, S. mexicana, S. pallida, and O. stenoceras. We employed a murine model of disseminated sporotrichosis to optimize a PCR assay for detecting Sporothrix in clinical specimens. Results Primer-BLAST searches revealed candidate sequences that were conserved within a single species. Species-specific primers showed no significant homology with human, mouse, or microorganisms outside the Sporothrix genus. The detection limit was 10–100 fg of DNA in a single round of PCR for identifying S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii, S. globosa, S. mexicana, and S. pallida. A simple, direct PCR assay, with conidia as a source of DNA, was effective for rapid, low-cost genotyping. Samples from a murine model of disseminated sporotrichosis confirmed the feasibility of detecting S. brasiliensis and S. schenckii DNA in spleen, liver, lungs, heart, brain, kidney, tail, and feces of infected animals. Conclusions This PCR-based method could successfully detect and identify a single species in samples from cultures and from clinical specimens. The method proved to be simple, high throughput, sensitive, and accurate for diagnosing sporotrichosis. Sporotrichosis, a disease caused by infections from Sporothrix species, primarily affects warm-blooded animals, particularly humans and cats. Sporotrichosis is emerging as a global threat, with high incidences in Brazil and China. The gold standard for diagnosing sporotrichosis is microscopic characterization of the pathogen isolated in culture. This methodology is tedious and time-consuming. Moreover, closely related Sporothrix species are often misidentified, due to similar phenotypic characteristics. The introduction of dissimilar species with specific geographic distributions, host predilections, virulence, and antifungal susceptibilities, has made species-level identification of Sporothrix mandatory. To facilitate meeting this requirement, we developed a PCR-based method for detecting and identifying Sporothrix species. We designed species-specific primers for identifying S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii, S. globosa, S. mexicana, S. pallida, and Ophiostoma stenoceras. With this method, we could detect as little as 1 pg and 10 fg (depending on the species) of Sporothrix DNA derived from isolated cultures. Furthermore, we successfully detected S. brasiliensis and S. schenckii DNA in tissue samples derived from a murine model of disseminated sporotrichosis. These species-specific primers can be applied in epidemiology, clinical diagnosis, and experimental studies of sporotrichosis. Improvements in early diagnosis and surveillance systems may facilitate rapid identification and control of future outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson Messias Rodrigues
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Disciplina de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail: (AMR); (ZPC)
| | | | - Zoilo Pires de Camargo
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Disciplina de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail: (AMR); (ZPC)
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Schmid M, Dufner B, Dürk J, Bedal K, Stricker K, Prokoph LA, Koch C, Wege AK, Zirpel H, van Zandbergen G, Ecker R, Boghiu B, Ritter U. An Emerging Approach for Parallel Quantification of Intracellular Protozoan Parasites and Host Cell Characterization Using TissueFAXS Cytometry. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139866. [PMID: 26488169 PMCID: PMC4619545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterization of host-pathogen interactions is a fundamental approach in microbiological and immunological oriented disciplines. It is commonly accepted that host cells start to change their phenotype after engulfing pathogens. Techniques such as real time PCR or ELISA were used to characterize the genes encoding proteins that are associated either with pathogen elimination or immune escape mechanisms. Most of such studies were performed in vitro using primary host cells or cell lines. Consequently, the data generated with such approaches reflect the global RNA expression or protein amount recovered from all cells in culture. This is justified when all host cells harbor an equal amount of pathogens under experimental conditions. However, the uptake of pathogens by phagocytic cells is not synchronized. Consequently, there are host cells incorporating different amounts of pathogens that might result in distinct pathogen-induced protein biosynthesis. Therefore, we established a technique able to detect and quantify the number of pathogens in the corresponding host cells using immunofluorescence-based high throughput analysis. Paired with multicolor staining of molecules of interest it is now possible to analyze the infection profile of host cell populations and the corresponding phenotype of the host cells as a result of parasite load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Schmid
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bianca Dufner
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Julius Dürk
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Konstanze Bedal
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kristina Stricker
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Ali Prokoph
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Koch
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anja K. Wege
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Henner Zirpel
- Division of Immunology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Langen, Germany
| | - Ger van Zandbergen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Uwe Ritter
- Institute of Immunology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Lyme disease: A rigorous review of diagnostic criteria and treatment. J Autoimmun 2015; 57:82-115. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Revised: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Vig DK, Wolgemuth CW. Spatiotemporal evolution of erythema migrans, the hallmark rash of Lyme disease. Biophys J 2014; 106:763-8. [PMID: 24507617 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To elucidate pathogen-host interactions during early Lyme disease, we developed a mathematical model that explains the spatiotemporal dynamics of the characteristic first sign of the disease, a large (≥5-cm diameter) rash, known as an erythema migrans. The model predicts that the bacterial replication and dissemination rates are the primary factors controlling the speed that the rash spreads, whereas the rate that active macrophages are cleared from the dermis is the principle determinant of rash morphology. In addition, the model supports the clinical observations that antibiotic treatment quickly clears spirochetes from the dermis and that the rash appearance is not indicative of the efficacy of the treatment. The quantitative agreement between our results and clinical data suggest that this model could be used to develop more efficient drug treatments and may form a basis for modeling pathogen-host interactions in other emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhruv K Vig
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Charles W Wolgemuth
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Department of Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
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Moniuszko A, Rückert C, Alberdi MP, Barry G, Stevenson B, Fazakerley JK, Kohl A, Bell-Sakyi L. Coinfection of tick cell lines has variable effects on replication of intracellular bacterial and viral pathogens. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2014; 5:415-22. [PMID: 24685441 PMCID: PMC4058533 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2014.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ticks transmit various human and animal microbial pathogens and may harbour more than one pathogen simultaneously. Both viruses and bacteria can trigger, and may subsequently suppress, vertebrate host and arthropod vector anti-microbial responses. Microbial coinfection of ticks could lead to an advantage or disadvantage for one or more of the microorganisms. In this preliminary study, cell lines derived from the ticks Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes ricinus were infected sequentially with 2 arthropod-borne pathogens, Borrelia burgdorferi s.s., Ehrlichia ruminantium, or Semliki Forest virus (SFV), and the effect of coinfection on the replication of these pathogens was measured. Prior infection of tick cell cultures with the spirochaete B. burgdorferi enhanced subsequent replication of the rickettsial pathogen E. ruminantium whereas addition of spirochaetes to cells infected with E. ruminantium had no effect on growth of the latter. Both prior and subsequent presence of B. burgdorferi also had a positive effect on SFV replication. Presence of E. ruminantium or SFV had no measurable effect on B. burgdorferi growth. In tick cells infected first with E. ruminantium and then with SFV, virus replication was significantly higher across all time points measured (24, 48, 72h post infection), while presence of the virus had no detectable effect on bacterial growth. When cells were infected first with SFV and then with E. ruminantium, there was no effect on replication of either pathogen. The results of this preliminary study indicate that interplay does occur between different pathogens during infection of tick cells. Further study is needed to determine if this results from direct pathogen-pathogen interaction or from effects on host cell defences, and to determine if these observations also apply in vivo in ticks. If presence of one pathogen in the tick vector results in increased replication of another, this could have implications for disease transmission and incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Moniuszko
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK; Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections, Medical University in Białystok, Żurawia 14, 15-540 Białystok, Poland
| | - Claudia Rückert
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - M Pilar Alberdi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Gerald Barry
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Brian Stevenson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, MS421 Chandler Medical Center, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536-0298, USA
| | - John K Fazakerley
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK; The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 0NF, UK
| | - Alain Kohl
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK
| | - Lesley Bell-Sakyi
- The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, Scotland, UK.
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Wu Q, Liu Z, Wang J, Li Y, Guan G, Yang J, Chen Z, Luo J, Yin H. Pathogenic analysis of Borrelia garinii strain SZ isolated from Northeastern China. Parasit Vectors 2013; 6:177. [PMID: 23773815 PMCID: PMC3689080 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/13/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Various genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) have been identified from patients and animals worldwide. Genospecies-related dissemination of disease has been reported. The present study aimed to elucidate the pathogenicity of infections caused by B. garinii SZ isolated in China. B. burgdorferi B31 and B. afzelii BO23 were used for comparison. Methods Spirochete load in blood and tissue samples of infected mice were measured by minor groove binder-based real-time polymerase chain reaction. The kinetics of spirochete dissemination and disease severity were assessed in BALB/c mice. Results The pattern of bacterial load differed between the three genospecies. The B. garinii SZ strain is highly pathogenic and can trigger multi-system pathological damage in mice. Conclusions Spirochete dissemination, persistence, tissue tropism and disease severity varied significantly, suggesting that different genospecies may play an important role in the pathogenicity and development of clinical diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Grazing Animal Diseases MOA, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou 730046, China
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O'Rourke M, Traweger A, Lusa L, Stupica D, Maraspin V, Barrett PN, Strle F, Livey I. Quantitative detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in erythema migrans skin lesions using internally controlled duplex real time PCR. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63968. [PMID: 23696863 PMCID: PMC3655952 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii, B. garinii and B. bavariensis are the principal species which account for Lyme borreliosis (LB) globally. We have developed an internally controlled duplex quantitative real time PCR assay targeting the Borrelia 16S rRNA and the human RNAseP genes. This assay is well-suited for laboratory confirmation of suspected cases of LB and will be used to assess the efficacy of a vaccine against LB in clinical trials. The assay is highly specific, successfully detecting DNA extracted from 83 diverse B. burgdorferi sensu lato strains representing all major species causing LB, while 21 unrelated microbial species and human genomic DNA tested negative. The assay was highly reproducible and sensitive, with a lower limit of detection of 6 copies per PCR reaction. Together with culture, the assay was used to evaluate paired 3 mm skin biopsy samples taken from 121 patients presenting with solitary erythema migrans (EM) lesion. PCR testing identified more positive biopsy samples than culture (77.7% PCR positive versus 55.1% culture positive) and correctly identified all specimens scored as culture positive. OspA-based typing identified the majority of isolates as B. afzelii (96.8%) and the bacterial load was significantly higher in culture positive biopsies than in culture negative biopsies (P<0.001). The quantitative data also enabled relationships between Borrelia burden and patient symptoms to be evaluated. The bacterial load was significantly higher among patients with systemic symptoms than without (P = 0.02) and was significantly higher for biopsies retrieved from patients with EM lesions with central clearing (P<0.001). 16S copy numbers were moderately lower in samples from patients reporting a history of LB (P = 0.10). This is the first quantitative PCR study of human skin biopsies predominantly infected with B. afzelii and the first study to demonstrate a clear relationship between clinical symptoms in B. afzelii-infected patients and Borrelia burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria O'Rourke
- Vaccine R&D, Baxter Bioscience, Orth/Donau, Austria. maria_o’
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Understanding barriers to Borrelia burgdorferi dissemination during infection using massively parallel sequencing. Infect Immun 2013; 81:2347-57. [PMID: 23608706 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00266-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Borrelia burgdorferi is an invasive spirochete that can cause acute and chronic infections in the skin, heart, joints, and central nervous system of infected mammalian hosts. Little is understood about where the bacteria encounter the strongest barriers to infection and how different components of the host immune system influence the population as the infection progresses. To identify population bottlenecks in a murine host, we utilized Tn-seq to monitor the composition of mixed populations of B. burgdorferi during infection. Both wild-type mice and mice lacking the Toll-like receptor adapter molecule MyD88 were infected with a pool of infectious B. burgdorferi transposon mutants with insertions in the same gene. At multiple time points postinfection, bacteria were isolated from the mice and the compositions of the B. burgdorferi populations at the injection site and in distal tissues determined. We identified a population bottleneck at the site of infection that significantly altered the composition of the population. The magnitude of this bottleneck was reduced in MyD88(-/-) mice, indicating a role for innate immunity in limiting early establishment of B. burgdorferi infection. There is not a significant bottleneck during the colonization of distal tissues, suggesting that founder effects are limited and there is not a strict limitation on the number of organisms able to initiate populations at distal sites. These findings further our understanding of the interactions between B. burgdorferi and its murine host in the establishment of infection and dissemination of the organism.
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Quecine MC, Araújo WL, Rossetto PB, Ferreira A, Tsui S, Lacava PT, Mondin M, Azevedo JL, Pizzirani-Kleiner AA. Sugarcane growth promotion by the endophytic bacterium Pantoea agglomerans 33.1. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:7511-8. [PMID: 22865062 PMCID: PMC3485700 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00836-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The promotion of sugarcane growth by the endophytic Pantoea agglomerans strain 33.1 was studied under gnotobiotic and greenhouse conditions. The green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged strain P. agglomerans 33.1::pNKGFP was monitored in vitro in sugarcane plants by microscopy, reisolation, and quantitative PCR (qPCR). Using qPCR and reisolation 4 and 15 days after inoculation, we observed that GFP-tagged strains reached similar density levels both in the rhizosphere and inside the roots and aerial plant tissues. Microscopic analysis was performed at 5, 10, and 18 days after inoculation. Under greenhouse conditions, P. agglomerans 33.1-inoculated sugarcane plants presented more dry mass 30 days after inoculation. Cross-colonization was confirmed by reisolation of the GFP-tagged strain. These data demonstrate that 33.1::pNKGFP is a superior colonizer of sugarcane due to its ability to colonize a number of different plant parts. The growth promotion observed in colonized plants may be related to the ability of P. agglomerans 33.1 to synthesize indoleacetic acid and solubilize phosphate. Additionally, this strain may trigger chitinase and cellulase production by plant roots, suggesting the induction of a plant defense system. However, levels of indigenous bacterial colonization did not vary between inoculated and noninoculated sugarcane plants under greenhouse conditions, suggesting that the presence of P. agglomerans 33.1 has no effect on these communities. In this study, different techniques were used to monitor 33.1::pNKGFP during sugarcane cross-colonization, and our results suggested that this plant growth promoter could be used with other crops. The interaction between sugarcane and P. agglomerans 33.1 has important benefits that promote the plant's growth and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. C. Quecine
- Department of Genetics, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - W. L. Araújo
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Biomédicas II, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - A. Ferreira
- Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Agrosilvopasture, Sinop, MT, Brazil
| | - S. Tsui
- Department of Genetics, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - P. T. Lacava
- Institute of Natural Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, MG, Brazil
| | - M. Mondin
- Department of Genetics, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - J. L. Azevedo
- Department of Genetics, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - A. A. Pizzirani-Kleiner
- Department of Genetics, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
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Pedersen KS, Ståhl M, Guedes RMC, Angen Ø, Nielsen JP, Jensen TK. Association between faecal load of lawsonia intracellularis and pathological findings of proliferative enteropathy in pigs with diarrhoea. BMC Vet Res 2012; 8:198. [PMID: 23092367 PMCID: PMC3514390 DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The study was designed to investigate correlation between histological findings of Lawsonia intracellularis in porcine cases of diarrhoea and the quantitative detection of Lawsonia intracellularis in faeces. A total of 156 pigs (10 to 70 days post weaning) with diarrhoea were randomly selected from 20 herds: The pigs were subjected to necropsy, histopathology, immunohistochemistry and faecal quantification of Lawsonia intracellularis by real time PCR. Results The median Lawsonia intracellularis excretion was significantly higher in pigs with gross lesions of proliferative enteropathy (median excretion: 5.92 log10 bacteria/g faeces) compared to pigs without gross lesions of proliferative enteropathy (median excretion: <3.3 log10 bacteria/g faeces) (P<0.001). Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the measureable PE lesions and L. intracellularis excretion was 0.50 (P<0.001). A significantly increasing trend in Lawsonia intracellularis excretion level for increasing proliferative enteropathy histopathology and immunohistochemistry scores was demonstrated (P<0.001; P<0.001). Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the histopathology scores and L. intracellularis excretion was 0.67 (P<0.001). Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the IHC scores and L. intracellularis excretion was 0.77 (P<0.001). Conclusions The histological and quantitative PCR detection of Lawsonia intracellularis were correlated in pigs with diarrhoea. Overall the results suggest that clinically important levels for Lawsonia intracellularis excretion in faeces may be established. Such clinical threshold levels may be used in practice to confirm a diagnosis of Lawsonia intracellularis associated diarrhoea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Steen Pedersen
- HERD - Centre for Herd oriented Education, Research and Development, Department of Large Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Groennegaardsvej 2, Frederiksberg C 1870, Denmark.
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Pedersen KS, Pedersen KH, Hjulsager C, Larsen LE, Ståhl M, Stege H, Angen Ø, Nielsen JP. Within-day repeatability for absolute quantification of Lawsonia intracellularis bacteria in feces from growing pigs. J Vet Diagn Invest 2012; 24:968-70. [PMID: 22786973 DOI: 10.1177/1040638712452111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Absolute quantification of Lawsonia intracellularis by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is now possible on a routine basis. Poor repeatability of quantification can result in disease status misclassification of individual pigs when a single fecal sample is obtained. The objective of the current study was to investigate overall variation within a day for fecal numbers of L. intracellularis bacteria determined by real-time PCR in growing pigs. From each of 30 pigs with an infection of L. intracellularis, 5 fecal samples were collected within 1 day. A total of 150 fecal samples were obtained and subjected to quantitative PCR (qPCR) testing. Mean fecal dry matter content was 14.3% (standard deviation = 4.5%). Two pigs (6.7%) alternated between being L. intracellularis qPCR positive and negative. For 28 pigs, the excreting levels of L. intracellularis were within the dynamic range of the qPCR assay at all sampling points. For these 28 pigs, the mean excretion level of L. intracellularis was 6.1 log(10) bacteria/g feces (standard deviation = 1.2 log(10) bacteria/g feces). The maximum observed difference between 2 fecal samples from the same pig was 1.1 log(10) bacteria/g feces. The average standard deviation for individual pigs was 0.27 log(10) bacteria/g feces. The average coefficient of variation within pigs was 0.04, ranging from 0.006 to 0.08. The results imply that absolute quantification of L. intracellularis by qPCR has acceptable repeatability within 1 day. However, a population-specific proportion of pigs alternating between positive and negative test results must be expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Steen Pedersen
- Department of Large Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Groennegaardsvej 2, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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Motaharinia Y, Rezaee MA, Rashidi A, Jalili A, Rezaie MJ, Shapouri R, Hossieni W, Rahmani MR. Induction of protective immunity against brucellosis in mice by vaccination with a combination of naloxone, alum, and heat-killed Brucella melitensis 16 M. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2012; 46:253-8. [PMID: 22727892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2012.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Revised: 02/29/2012] [Accepted: 03/16/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE A T-helper cell type 1-specific response leads to the elimination of intracellular infection with Brucella. Studies have shown that naloxone (NLX) can promote a cellular immune response in this respect. The current study was carried out to evaluate the induction of protective immunity in mice against brucellosis by vaccination with a combination of NLX, alum, and heat-killed Brucella melitensis 16 M (HKB). METHODS Mice were categorized into five groups and received intraperitoneal vaccination on Days 0 and 7. Then serum levels of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-4, the bacterial load, and the survival rate were measured 2 weeks after the last vaccination. RESULTS The serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, and immunoglobulin G in the NLX + alum + HKB group were shown to be significantly increased (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the lowest bacterial load was observed in this group. The survival rate in groups vaccinated with combinations containing adjuvants was 100%. CONCLUSION The combination of NLX and alum enhanced the immunogenicity of HKB, which can be used in the vaccination of animals and humans at risk of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousef Motaharinia
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
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Fu Y, Liu Z, Guan G, Niu Q, Li Y, Yang J, Ren Q, Ma M, Liu A, Peng Y, Luo J, Yin H. Development of real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in China. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2012; 12:341-5. [PMID: 22448677 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Universal primers and probes were selected on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of Borrelia burgdorferi in GenBank®, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for detection of B. burgdorferi was established. The results showed that this method could specifically detect the B31 strain (Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto), the BO23 strain (Borrelia afzelii), and the SZ strain (Borrelia garinii), without cross-reaction with genome DNA of Theileria (T. luwenshuni, T. uilenbergi, T. sinensis, T. annulata, T. sergenti, T. annulata), Babesia (B. bigemina, B. ovate, B. sp. (Xinjiang)), Anaplasma (A. marginale, A. ovis), Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. capri, and Chlamydia psittaci, which are the infective pathogens to yak and/or sheep. The sensitivity of this real-time PCR is 10⁴ times greater than that of a conventional PCR. The real-time PCR was able to amplify 16S rRNA gene from as few as 22.88 fg genomic DNA of B. burgdorferi sensu lato. Tick DNAs from 369 field samples collected from Shangzhi City of Heilongjiang Province were tested, resulting in an infection rate of 42.80%, and a total of 332 genomic DNAs from the blood of 186 yaks and 146 sheep in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province were tested, resulting in 24.19% positive rate for the yaks and 39.04% positive rate for the sheep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguang Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Grazing Animal Diseases MOA, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Lanzhou, P.R. China
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Binder SC, Telschow A, Meyer-Hermann M. Population Dynamics of Borrelia burgdorferi in Lyme Disease. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:104. [PMID: 22470370 PMCID: PMC3309995 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many chronic inflammatory diseases are known to be caused by persistent bacterial or viral infections. A well-studied example is the tick-borne infection by the gram-negative spirochaetes of the genus Borrelia in humans and other mammals, causing severe symptoms of chronic inflammation and subsequent tissue damage (Lyme Disease), particularly in large joints and the central nervous system, but also in the heart and other tissues of untreated patients. Although killed efficiently by human phagocytic cells in vitro, Borrelia exhibits a remarkably high infectivity in mice and men. In experimentally infected mice, the first immune response almost clears the infection. However, approximately 1 week post infection, the bacterial population recovers and reaches an even larger size before entering the chronic phase. We developed a mathematical model describing the bacterial growth and the immune response against Borrelia burgdorferi in the C3H mouse strain that has been established as an experimental model for Lyme disease. The peculiar dynamics of the infection exclude two possible mechanistic explanations for the regrowth of the almost cleared bacteria. Neither the hypothesis of bacterial dissemination to different tissues nor a limitation of phagocytic capacity were compatible with experiment. The mathematical model predicts that Borrelia recovers from the strong initial immune response by the regrowth of an immune-resistant sub-population of the bacteria. The chronic phase appears as an equilibration of bacterial growth and adaptive immunity. This result has major implications for the development of the chronic phase of Borrelia infections as well as on potential protective clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian C Binder
- Department of Systems Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research Braunschweig, Germany
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Priest HL, Irby NL, Schlafer DH, Divers TJ, Wagner B, Glaser AL, Chang YF, Smith MC. Diagnosis of Borrelia-associated uveitis in two horses. Vet Ophthalmol 2012; 15:398-405. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2012.01000.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Li X, McHugh GA, Damle N, Sikand VK, Glickstein L, Steere AC. Burden and viability of Borrelia burgdorferi in skin and joints of patients with erythema migrans or lyme arthritis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 63:2238-47. [PMID: 21590753 DOI: 10.1002/art.30384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the burden and viability of Borrelia burgdorferi in the skin and joints of patients with Lyme disease. METHODS Standard and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques were used to detect B burgdorferi DNA in skin samples from 90 patients with erythema migrans (EM) and in synovial fluid (SF) from 63 patients with Lyme arthritis (LA) and in synovial tissue from 9 patients. Quantitative PCR determinations of B burgdorferi DNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) were made in 10 skin samples from EM patients and 11 SF samples from LA patients. RESULTS Skin lesions in most patients with EM had positive PCR results for B burgdorferi DNA. In the majority of patients with LA, a late disease manifestation, PCR results in pretreatment SF samples were positive. In patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis, positive PCR results persisted for as long as 11 months, but positive results in samples taken during the postantibiotic period did not correlate with relapse or with the subsequent duration of arthritis, and at synovectomy, all results of PCR of synovial tissue were negative. B burgdorferi mRNA, a marker of spirochetal viability, was detected in 8 of 10 skin samples from EM patients, but in none of 11 SF samples from LA patients, even when obtained prior to antibiotic administration. Moreover, the median ratio of spirochetal rRNA to DNA, a measure of ribosomal activity, was 160 in the 10 EM skin samples, but only 0.15 in the 3 LA SF samples with positive results. CONCLUSION B burgdorferi in the skin lesions of EM patients were active and viable, whereas those in the SF of LA patients were moribund or dead at any time point. Thus, detection of B burgdorferi DNA in SF is not a reliable test of active joint infection in Lyme disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Knauer J, Krupka I, Fueldner C, Lehmann J, Straubinger RK. Evaluation of the preventive capacities of a topically applied azithromycin formulation against Lyme borreliosis in a murine model. J Antimicrob Chemother 2011; 66:2814-22. [PMID: 21921078 PMCID: PMC3215302 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkr371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Systemic antibiotic treatment of Lyme borreliosis is effective during the early stages of the infection, while chronic manifestations of the disease may remain refractory and difficult to treat. This study was carried out in order to evaluate the potential of topically applied azithromycin to eliminate the spirochaetal organisms in the skin of the freshly bitten host and thereby prevent Lyme borreliosis. Methods Laboratory mice were challenged with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto by needle inoculation or via infected ticks as vectors. Then, an azithromycin-containing formulation was applied once daily to the sites of exposure for three consecutive days. In the case of needle inoculation, a 5% azithromycin formulation was applied starting 1 h, 3 days and 5 days after infection. In the case of tick exposure, 4%, 10% and 20% azithromycin formulations were applied, starting directly after the detachment of the engorged ticks. Subsequently, the infection status of the mice was determined. Results Concentrations of azithromycin in murine skin were >3800-fold higher than the published minimal inhibitory concentration for B. burgdorferi as soon as 3 h after the first application. After needle inoculation, spirochaetes were not detectable in all infected mice after treatment, if the first application started 1 h or even after 3 days post-infection. Furthermore, no borrelial organisms were detected after topical treatment when ticks were used for spirochaete inoculation. Conclusions Our data indicate that topical treatment with a formulation containing azithromycin is a promising approach to prevent Lyme borreliosis shortly after a tick bite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Knauer
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Cell Technology/GLP, Leipzig, Germany
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Species-specific probes and real-time PCR as a tool for fast detection and differentiation of 15 bacteria relevant in intensive care medicine. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11274-011-0661-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Hyde JA, Weening EH, Chang M, Trzeciakowski JP, Höök M, Cirillo JD, Skare JT. Bioluminescent imaging of Borrelia burgdorferi in vivo demonstrates that the fibronectin-binding protein BBK32 is required for optimal infectivity. Mol Microbiol 2011; 82:99-113. [PMID: 21854463 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07801.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The aetiological agent of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted via infected Ixodes spp. ticks. Infection, if untreated, results in dissemination to multiple tissues and significant morbidity. Recent developments in bioluminescence technology allow in vivo imaging and quantification of pathogenic organisms during infection. Herein, luciferase-expressing B. burgdorferi and strains lacking the decorin adhesins DbpA and DbpB, as well as the fibronectin adhesin BBK32, were quantified by bioluminescent imaging to further evaluate their pathogenic potential in infected mice. Quantification of bacterial load was verified by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and cultivation. B. burgdorferi lacking DbpA and DbpB were only seen at the 1 h time point post infection, consistent with its low infectivity phenotype. The bbk32 mutant exhibited a significant decrease in its infectious load at day 7 relative to its parent. This effect was most pronounced at lower inocula and imaging correlated well with qPCR data. These data suggest that BBK32-mediated binding plays an important role in B. burgdorferi colonization. As such, in vivo imaging of bioluminescent Borrelia provides a sensitive means to detect, quantify and temporally characterize borrelial dissemination in a non-invasive, physiologically relevant environment and, more importantly, demonstrated a quantifiable infectivity defect for the bbk32 mutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny A Hyde
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Pathogenesis, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
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Wright SA, Tucker JR, Donohue AM, Castro MB, Kelley KL, Novak MG, Macedo PA. Avian hosts of Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) and the detection of Borrelia burgdorferi in larvae feeding on the Oregon junco. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2011; 48:852-859. [PMID: 21845945 DOI: 10.1603/me11001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Larval and nymphal western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls (Acari: Ixodidae), were collected from birds, rodents, and lizards at Quail Ridge Reserve located in Napa County in northwestern California. Species from three vertebrate classes were sampled simultaneously from two transects during two consecutive spring seasons. Feeding larval and nymphal ticks were removed and preserved for counting, examination and testing for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner. Mean infestations with I. pacificus subadults on lizards were 10.0, on birds 2.9, and on rodents 1.3. I. pacificus larvae (204) collected from 10 avian species and (215) collected from two rodent species were tested for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.s. via real-time polymerase chain reaction. Three B. burgdorferi-infected larvae were taken from two Junco hyemalis and two infected larvae from one Neotoma fuscipes Baird. This is the detection of B. burgdorferi ss in an Ixodes pacificus larvae feeding on a Junco hyemalis L., [corrected] in western North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Wright
- Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District, 8631 Bond Rd., Elk Grove, CA 95624, USA.
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KOLBAUM J, RITTER U, ZIMARA N, BREWIG N, ESCHBACH ML, BRELOER M. Efficient control of Leishmania and Strongyloides despite partial suppression of nematode-induced Th2 response in co-infected mice. Parasite Immunol 2011; 33:226-35. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3024.2010.01273.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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The chemokine receptor CXCR2 ligand KC (CXCL1) mediates neutrophil recruitment and is critical for development of experimental Lyme arthritis and carditis. Infect Immun 2010; 78:4593-600. [PMID: 20823213 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00798-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Deletion of the chemokine receptor CXCR2 prevents the recruitment of neutrophils into tissues and subsequent development of experimental Lyme arthritis. Following footpad inoculation of Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, expression of the CXCR2 ligand KC (CXCL1) is highly upregulated in the joints of arthritis-susceptible mice and is likely to play an important role in the recruitment of neutrophils to the site of infection. To test this hypothesis, we infected C3H KC(-/-) mice with B. burgdorferi and followed the development of arthritis and carditis. Ankle swelling was significantly attenuated during the peak of arthritis in the KC(-/-) mice. Arthritis severity scores were significantly lower in the KC(-/-) mice on days 11 and 21 postinfection, with fewer neutrophils present in the inflammatory lesions. Cardiac lesions were also significantly decreased in KC(-/-) mice at day 21 postinfection. There were, however, no differences between C3H wild-type and KC(-/-) mice in spirochete clearance from tissues. Two other CXCR2 ligands, LIX (CXCL5) and MIP-2 (CXCL2), were not increased to compensate for the loss of KC, and the production of several innate cytokines was unaltered. These results demonstrate that KC plays a critical nonredundant role in the development of experimental Lyme arthritis and carditis via CXCR2-mediated recruitment of neutrophils into the site of infection.
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Abstract
Despite resolution of the objective manifestations of Lyme disease after antibiotic treatment, a minority of patients have fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and/or difficulties with concentration or short-term memory of uncertain etiology; these are called post-Lyme disease symptoms or, in more severe cases, post-Lyme disease syndrome or "chronic Lyme disease." Several recent studies in which Borrelia burgdorferi-infected animals were treated with antibiotic therapy have demonstrated the presence of PCR positivity for B. burgdorferi DNA in the absence of culture positivity. In mice that were treated with antibiotic therapy, residual spirochetes could be taken up by ticks during a blood meal and could be transmitted to SCID mice. These spirochetes are attenuated; their presence is not associated with either inflammation or disease. In this review the methodology and findings of these studies are critically analyzed, and the significance of the results with regard to human Lyme disease is evaluated, with special emphasis on whether these studies provide useful insights into post-Lyme disease syndrome. A serious methodological concern is the failure to consider the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic properties of the antibiotic in choosing the dosage regimen used. We conclude that there is no scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that such spirochetes, should they exist in humans, are the cause of post-Lyme disease syndrome.
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Hulínská D, Votýpka J, Vanousová D, Hercogová J, Hulínský V, Drevová H, Kurzová Z, Uherková L. Identification of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in patients with erythema migrans. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2009; 54:246-56. [PMID: 19649743 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-009-0039-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2008] [Revised: 01/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Anaplasma phagocytophilum has been first isolated from the blood of two Czech patients simultaneously with a cultivation of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato from their erythema migrans lesions. Cultivation of different Borrelia spp. from 12 erythema migrans biopsies, from 2 blood, one liquor and one placenta sample in BSK-H medium was successful. Adapted conventional methods targeting 16S rRNA and OspA genes for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and partial sequencing of these genes together with microscopical examinations of the blood smears provided a direct detection of the B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi, B. garinii, B. valaisiana and B. bissettii in the skin, B. garinii in the blood, placenta and liquor in 24 (36.3 %) patients, and A. phagocytophilum in 10 (15 %) patients with erythema migrans. Positive indirect IgM immunofluorescence against Anaplasma sp. was obtained in 7 cases, specific IgG antibodies were detected in 12 patients. Three women suffering from erythema migrans in the first trimester had positive PCR for Anaplasma and/or for Borrelia in the blood and two of them, later, in the placenta. Interpretation of laboratory data can bring important contribution to establishing the role of Anaplasma sp. in erythema migrans and forming the principle of precaution with laboratory diagnosis during pregnancy which always should be reflected in the resistance of Anaplasma sp. toward penicillins.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Hulínská
- National Reference Laboratory, WHO Centre for Reference and Research on Borreliosis, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Brewig N, Kissenpfennig A, Malissen B, Veit A, Bickert T, Fleischer B, Mostböck S, Ritter U. Priming of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in experimental leishmaniasis is initiated by different dendritic cell subtypes. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2009; 182:774-83. [PMID: 19124720 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.182.2.774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The biological role of Langerin+ dendritic cells (DCs) such as Langerhans cells and a subset of dermal DCs (dDCs) in adaptive immunity against cutaneous pathogens remains enigmatic. Thus, we analyzed the impact of Langerin+ DCs in adaptive T cell-mediated immunity toward Leishmania major parasites in a Lang-DTR mouse model that allows conditional diphtheria toxin (DT)-induced ablation of Langerin+ DCs in vivo. For the first time, infection experiments with DT-treated Lang-DTR mice revealed that proliferation of L. major-specific CD8+ T cells is significantly reduced during the early phase of the immune response following depletion of Langerin+ DCs. Consequently, the total number of activated CD8+ T cells within the draining lymph node and at the site of infection is diminished. Furthermore, we show that the impaired CD8+ T cell response is due to the absence of Langerin+ dDCs and not Langerhans cells. Nevertheless, the CD4+ T cell response is not altered and the infection is cleared as effectively in DT-treated Lang-DTR mice as in control mice. This clearly demonstrates that Langerin+ DCs are, in general, dispensable for an efficient adaptive immune response against L. major parasites. Thus, we propose a novel concept that, in the experimental model of leishmaniasis, priming of CD4+ T cells is mediated by Langerin- dDCs, whereas Langerin+ dDCs are involved in early priming of CD8+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Brewig
- Department of Immunology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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Wang X, Mani P, Sarkar DP, Roy-Chowdhury N, Roy-Chowdhury J. Ex vivo gene transfer into hepatocytes. Methods Mol Biol 2009; 481:117-140. [PMID: 19096805 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-59745-201-4_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Ex vivo gene transfer into hepatocytes could serve several purposes in the context of gene therapy or cell transplantation: (1) isolated hepatocytes can be transduced in culture with therapeutic genes and then transplanted into the recipient; (2) marker genes can be introduced for subsequent identification of transplanted cells and their progeny; (3) gene transfer can be used for conditional immortalization of hepatocytes for expansion in culture; (4) immunomodulatory genes can be transferred into hepatocytes to prevent allograft rejection. Gene transfer into cultured hepatocytes can be achieved using DNA that is not incorporated into recombinant viruses. In such systems, transgene integration into the host cell genome can be enhanced using transposon systems, such as "sleeping beauty." In addition to using the conventional reagents, such as cationic liposomes, DNA transfer into hepatocytes can be achieved by Nucleofection or special hepatocyte-targeted carriers such as proteoliposomes containing galactose-terminated glycoproteins (e.g. the F protein of the Sendai virus). Alternatively, genes can be transferred using recombinant viruses, such as adenoviral vectors that are episomal or retroviral vectors (including lentiviruses) that permit integration of the transgene into the host genome. Gene transfer using lentiviral vectors has been achieved in both attached and suspended hepatocytes. Transduction efficiency of lentiviral vectors can be enhanced using magnetic nanoparticles (Magnetofection).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Wang
- Department of Medicine and Molecular Genetics, and the Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
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