title: Evaluation of a modified culture medium for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to assess the possible use of a modified medium, prepared in the laboratory using the constituents of Barbour-Stonner-Kelly (BSK) medium and medium 199 as base, for the culture of Borrelia strains, comparing the growth of individual strains in this medium and in the BSK-H medium, and the protein profile and antigenic characteristics of Borrelia proteins expressed in these media. A qualitative evaluation of growth of Borrelia species was made with acceptable results (morphology and motility), but during a quantitative evaluation using the three main genospecies of Borrelia, the better results were obtained with a B. burgdorferi sensu stricto strain. The modified medium did not enable the growth of a B. afzelii strain. The protein profile and antigenic characteristic of the expressed proteins in the modified medium were studied with satisfactory results. These results suggest the modified medium as an alternative for the cultivation of Borrelia strains, with some limitations, in poorly-resourced laboratories.
authors.affiliation: National Laboratory of Spirochetes, Tropical Medicine Institute Pedro Kourí, Havana, Cuba. islay@ipk.sld.cu
authors.forename: Islay
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lienhard
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gern
authors.forename: Marie Colette
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Veuve
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jouda
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Siegrist
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: José Enrique
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D003470:Culture Media