title: Induction of interleukin-1 release by high- and low-passage isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi.
abstract: Low-passage isolates of Borrelia burgdorferi induced arthritis when injected into the hind paws of irradiated hamsters, while high-passage isolates did not. To examine a possible mechanism for induction of arthritis, peritoneal exudate cells were coincubated with high- and low-passage isolates of B. burgdorferi, and the resultant conditioned medium was assayed for interleukin-1 (IL-1) activity. Comparable amounts of IL-1 activity were detected in culture supernatants generated by high- and low-passage spirochetes and were dependent on the number of spirochetes added. Live B. burgdorferi stimulated greater release of IL-1 activity than did heat-killed organisms. No evidence of release of IL-1 due to shedding of soluble components from spirochetes was obtained. A recombinant human IL-1 receptor antagonist blocked the proliferative activity of conditioned medium in a murine thymocyte assay for IL-1 activity. The greater ability of low-passage spirochetes to survive in vivo may be more important than the ability to induce IL-1 production in the pathogenesis of Lyme arthritis.
authors: Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
authors: K B
authors: KB
authors: Kenefick
authors: L C
authors: LC
authors: Lim
authors: J D
authors: JD
authors: Alder
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Schmitz
authors: C J
authors: CJ
authors: Czuprynski
authors: R F
authors: RF
authors: Schell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006224:Cricetinae; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D012692:Serial Passage
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1