title: Effect of tick saliva on immune interactions between Borrelia afzelii and murine dendritic cells.
abstract: Interaction between mouse dendritic cells (DCs) and Borrelia afzelii spirochetes was monitored on three different levels: phagocytosis of spirochetes by DCs, production of cytokines by Borrelia-stimulated DCs and the ability of Borrelia-exposed DCs to activate specific CD4+ T lymphocytes. The effect of Ixodes ricinus tick saliva on each of these interactions was examined. Tick saliva was shown to decrease the number of phagocytosing DCs. The ability of Borrelia-exposed DCs to induce both proliferation and IL-2 production by specific CD4+ T cells was significantly reduced by tick saliva. And surprisingly, we have shown an inhibitory effect of tick saliva on the production of both Th1 (TNF-α and IL-6) and Th2 (IL-10) cytokines by DCs. Our data reveal a complex inhibitory effect of tick saliva on Borrelia-DCs interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slámová
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skallová
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Páleníková
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopecký
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000276:immunology; D018884:Ixodes / Q000382:microbiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010587:Phagocytosis; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007155:Immunologic Factors