title: Antibody response to IR6, a conserved immunodominant region of the VlsE lipoprotein, wanes rapidly after antibiotic treatment of Borrelia burgdorferi infection in experimental animals and in humans.
abstract: Invariable region (IR)(6), an immunodominant conserved region of VlsE, the antigenic variation protein of Borrelia burgdorferi, is currently used for the serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease in humans and canines. A longitudinal assessment of anti-IR(6) antibody levels in B. burgdorferi-infected rhesus monkeys revealed that this level diminished sharply after antibiotic treatment (within 25 weeks). In contrast, antibody levels to P39 and to whole-cell antigen extracts of B. burgdorferi either remained unchanged or diminished less. A longitudinal analysis in dogs yielded similar results. In humans, the anti-IR(6) antibody titer diminished by a factor of > or =4 in successfully treated patients and by a factor of <4 in treatment-resistant patients. This result suggests that the quantification of anti-IR(6) antibody titer as a function of time should be investigated further as a test to assess response to Lyme disease therapy or to determine whether a B. burgdorferi infection has been eliminated.
authors.affiliation: Tulane Regional Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana 70433, USA. Philipp@tpc.tulane.edu
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Philipp
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Bowers
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Fawcett
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Purcell
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ratterree
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Straubinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D008074:Lipoproteins; C105546:VlsE protein, Borrelia burgdorferi