Antigenic conservation of an immunodominant invariable region of the VlsE lipoprotein among European pathogenic genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi SL.
Lyme disease is caused by genetically divergent spirochetes, including 3 pathogenic genospecies: Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, and B. afzelii. Serodiagnosis is complicated by this genetic diversity. A synthetic peptide (C(6)), based on the 26-mer invariable region (IR(6)) of the variable surface antigen of B. burgdorferi (VlsE), was used as ELISA antigen, to test serum samples collected from mice experimentally infected with the 3 genospecies and from European patients with Lyme disease. Regardless of the infecting strains, mice produced a strong antibody response to C(6), which indicates that IR(6) is antigenically conserved among the pathogenic genospecies. Twenty of 23 patients with culture-confirmed erythema migrans had a detectable antibody response to C(6). A sensitivity of 95.2% was achieved, with serum samples collected from patients with well-defined acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. Fourteen of 20 patients with symptoms of late Lyme disease also had a positive anti-IR(6) ELISA. Thus, it is possible that C(6) may be used to serodiagnose Lyme disease universally.
Liang
F T
FT
Department of Parasitology, Tulane Regional Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA.
Aberer
E
E
Cinco
M
M
Gern
L
L
Hu
C M
CM
Lobet
Y N
YN
Ruscio
M
M
Voet
P E
PE
Weynants
V E
VE
Philipp
M T
MT
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008074:Lipoproteins; C105546:VlsE protein, Borrelia burgdorferi