Article
Microbiology
Mildred Castellanos, Theodore B. Verhey, Madeleine Goldstein, George Chaconas
Summary: The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi encodes an elaborate antigenic variation system that allows it to continually change a major surface lipoprotein, VlsE, and evade the host immune system. This study reveals the requirement of the mismatch repair protein MutL in the recombinational switching of vlsE, expanding our understanding of the molecular mechanism behind this novel variation system.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Bijaya Sharma, Julie E. McCarthy, Cecily A. Freliech, Morgen M. Clark, Linden T. Hu
Summary: Unrecognized immunodeficiency may contribute to antibiotics' failure in treating Lyme disease symptoms. The study showed that the efficacy of doxycycline was significantly lower in mice lacking adaptive immunity, especially B cells, with the most pronounced effect seen in immunodeficient C3H mice. Additionally, the addition of a single dose of ceftriaxone to doxycycline treatment effectively cleared infection in severely immunodeficient C3H mice.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Brooklyn Bourgeois, Cody Koloski, Alexandra Foley-Eby, Christopher B. Zinck, Georgia Hurry, Nathalie Boulanger, Maarten J. Voordouw
Summary: The abundance of Borrelia burgdorferi can be increased by treating infected mice with topical corticosteroids. There is a sex-specific effect of the treatment, with male mice showing a higher abundance of the spirochete in the skin compared to female mice.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Bryna L. Fitzgerald, Barbara Graham, Mark J. Delorey, Adoracion Pegalajar-Jurado, M. Nurul Islam, Gary P. Wormser, John N. Aucott, Alison W. Rebman, Mark J. Soloski, John T. Belisle, Claudia R. Molins
Summary: This study used metabolomics to analyze metabolic responses in patients with Post-treatment Lyme disease symptoms/syndrome (PTLDS) compared to clinically cured non-PTLDS patients. The findings revealed observable metabolic differences between PTLDS and non-PTLDS patients at multiple time points, with distinct patterns of metabolite abundance. A small number of metabolites could be used to define PTLDS versus non-PTLDS patients at specific time points, and these findings were validated in a second patient cohort. These results suggest that metabolite-based measurement can help distinguish patients with PTLDS and provide insights into the underlying biochemistry of PTLDS.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Victor Eiferman, Guillaume Le Guenno, Nathalie Boiret-Dupre, Bertrand Barres, Lea Luciani, Pierre Edouard Fournier
Summary: We present a case of an atypical Borrelia garinii infection in an immunocompromised patient, initially suspected as a transformation of follicular lymphoma into high-grade lymphoma. Direct observation of spirochetes on a peripheral blood smear confirmed the diagnosis using molecular methods. The clinical presentation and diagnosis in this patient contrast with previously reported cases in immunocompromised individuals.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Maroun M. Sfeir, Jennifer K. Meece, Elitza S. Theel, Dane Granger, Thomas R. Fritsche, Allen C. Steere, John A. Branda
Summary: Modified two-tiered testing algorithms are acceptable alternatives for Lyme disease diagnosis. The study found that these algorithms showed higher sensitivity in patients with acute erythema migrans and comparable specificity in other types of Lyme disease patients and control subjects.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Finja Huendersen, Stefanie Forst, Erich Kasten
Summary: The study found that patients with Lyme disease have lower quality of life and sleep, as well as cognitive impairments in attention and memory. Depressive symptoms are common among Lyme patients, and the disease is often diagnosed late.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Klaudia Sowula, Joanna Szaleniec, Mateusz Dworak, Maria Przeklasa, Malgorzata Maraj, Piotr Ceranowicz, Jerzy Tomik
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the frequency of vertigo symptoms and potential labyrinth damage in patients diagnosed with Lyme disease (LD). Vertigo is often associated with labyrinth and hearing-organ damage in LD patients, and antibiotic therapy is effective in reducing otoneurological symptoms.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
M. E. Baarsma, A. Vrijlandt, J. Ursinus, H. L. Zaaijer, S. Jurriaans, A. P. van Dam, J. W. Hovius
Summary: This study compared the diagnostic parameters of the ZEUS Borrelia VlsE1/pepC10 assay and C6-ELISA in European patients with Lyme borreliosis, healthy blood donors, and potentially cross-reactive controls. The specificity of both assays was similar in healthy blood donors, but C6-ELISA appeared to have slightly higher sensitivity in patients with early localized or disseminated Lyme borreliosis. The VlsE1/pepC10 assay showed significantly higher specificity in sera with potentially cross-reactive antibodies.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Shaghayegh Jahanbani, Paige S. Hansen, Lisa K. Blum, Effie E. Bastounis, Nitya S. Ramadoss, Mallesh Pandrala, Jessica Marie Kirschmann, Grace Sisemore Blacker, Zelda Z. Love, Irving L. Weissman, Fahimeh Nemati, Michal Caspi Tal, William H. Robinson
Summary: This study sequenced the antibody repertoire of plasmablasts in Bb-infected humans and identified their binding specificities. The researchers found that by conjugating a TLR9-agonist CpG oligo to an anti-BmpA monoclonal antibody, they were able to enhance macrophage phagocytosis of Bb.
CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Elisa Kortela, Mari Kanerva, Satu Kurkela, Jarmo Oksi, Asko Jarvinen
Summary: This study evaluated the conditions behind the symptoms in patients with suspected Lyme borreliosis (LB) referred to an infectious diseases clinic. The results showed that LB was unlikely in half of the patients, with most cases having other conditions to explain their symptoms.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Ingrid Krogen, Sigurdur Skarphedinsson, Thoger Gorm Jensen, Fredrikke Christie Knudtzen
Summary: The production of intrathecal Borrelia-specific antibodies in patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) was found to be unrelated to the time from symptom onset to lumbar puncture (LP). The delay from symptom onset to LP was similar for patients with positive Bb-AI IgM and Bb-AI IgG.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Clemence Corre, Guillaume Coiffier, Benoit Le Goff, Marine Ferreyra, Xavier Guennic, Solene Patrat-Delon, Brigitte Degeilh, Jean-David Albert, Pierre Tattevin
Summary: This observational retrospective multicentre study in Western France focused on characterizing Lyme arthritis, management, and outcome. The majority of patients with Lyme arthritis had monoarthritis, primarily affecting the knee. Treatment involved antibiotics, with some patients also receiving intra-articular glucocorticoid injections. Complete resolution of Lyme arthritis was seen in a significant proportion of patients with follow-up data.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Sanna Avellan, Daniel Bremell
Summary: The study found that adjunctive corticosteroids do not improve or impair the outcome for patients with LNB PFP treated with doxycycline.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Jamil N. Kanji, Abraam Isaac, Daniel Gregson, Monika Mierzejewski, Danny Shpeley, Pauline Tomlin, Michael Groeschel, L. Robbin Lindsay, Lisa Lachance, Kinga Kowalewska-Grochowska
Summary: This study retrospectively analyzed tick species and quantity recovered from humans in Alberta over a 19-year period, and conducted molecular testing for pathogens associated with Ixodes scapularis and I. pacificus. Dermacentor ticks were the most common, followed by Ixodes and Amblyomma. The risk of tick-borne pathogen exposure, such as Lyme disease, in Alberta remains low.
EMERGING MICROBES & INFECTIONS
(2022)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Theodore B. Verhey, Mildred Castellanos, George Chaconas
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mildred Castellanos, Theodore B. Verhey, George Chaconas
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Cell Biology
Theodore B. Verhey, Mildred Castellanos, George Chaconas
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
George Chaconas, Mildred Castellanos, Theodore B. Verhey
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xi Tan, Bjorn Petri, Rebekah DeVinney, Craig N. Jenne, George Chaconas
Summary: Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-transmitted disease in the northern hemisphere. The mechanism by which these spirochetes breach the blood vessel wall to reach distant tissues is not well understood. Research has revealed that host neutrophils play a role in promoting bacterial escape into surrounding tissue by producing specific cytokines.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
George Chaconas, Tara J. Moriarty, Jon Skare, Jenny A. Hyde
Summary: The article reviews three primary modalities for live imaging Borrelia spirochetes, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and specific purposes for optimal utilization. Live imaging has significantly impacted the field of spirochete biology, presenting a collection of images associated with imaging studies driving advancements in the field.
CURRENT ISSUES IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Xi Tan, Yi-Pin Lin, Michael J. Pereira, Mildred Castellanos, Beth L. Hahn, Phillip Anderson, Jenifer Coburn, John M. Leong, George Chaconas
Summary: Hematogenous dissemination is a critical step in the evolution of local infection to systemic disease. In this research, VlsE, a dermatan sulfate (DS) adhesin, was identified as an adhesin that efficiently promotes transient adhesion to the microvasculature under shear force.
Article
Microbiology
Mildred Castellanos, Theodore B. Verhey, Madeleine Goldstein, George Chaconas
Summary: The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi encodes an elaborate antigenic variation system that allows it to continually change a major surface lipoprotein, VlsE, and evade the host immune system. This study reveals the requirement of the mismatch repair protein MutL in the recombinational switching of vlsE, expanding our understanding of the molecular mechanism behind this novel variation system.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Annabelle Pfeifle, Sathya Thulasi N. Raman, Casey Lansdell, Wanyue Zhang, Levi Tamming, Jonathon Cecillon, Emmanuel Laryea, Devina Patel, Jianguo Wu, Caroline Gravel, Grant Frahm, Jun Gao, Wangxue Chen, George Chaconas, Simon Sauve, Michael Rosu-Myles, Lisheng Wang, Michael J. W. Johnston, Xuguang Li
Summary: In this study, a lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated DNA vaccine was developed to prevent Lyme disease. Vaccination with the candidate vaccine induced specific antibody response and provided effective protection against the disease, including carditis and lymphadenopathy. These findings support the use of DNA-LNP platform for the development of Lyme disease vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ruzena Filandrova, Pauline Douglas, Xiaoqin Zhan, Theodore B. Verhey, Sorana Morrissy, Raymond W. Turner, David C. Schriemer
Summary: The choice of appropriate methods for proteomics analysis is crucial for in-depth study of subtle changes in the proteome. In this study, seven different strategies were compared in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome. It was found that data-independent acquisition (DIA) and tandem mass tag (TMT)-based real-time search method (RTS) generated the most informative protein profiles. DIA and RTS methods uncovered known regulators of the syndrome and detected alterations in calcium signaling pathways. However, there were limitations in ratio compression and ion detection sensitivity for some of the methods used. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD039885.
JOURNAL OF PROTEOME RESEARCH
(2023)