Lyme disease potential for connective tissue targeting

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10072447&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

Mol Med. 1999 Jan;5(1):46-54. Related Articles, Links

Interaction of Borrelia burgdorferi with peripheral blood
fibrocytes, antigen-presenting cells with the potential for connective
tissue targeting.

Grab DJ, Lanners H, Martin LN, Chesney J, Cai C, Adkisson HD,
Bucala R.

Tulane Regional Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA.

grab@cc.saga-u.ac.jp

BACKGROUND: Borrelia Burgdorferi has a predilection for collagenous

tissue and can interact with fibronectin and cellular collagens. While
the molecular mechanisms of how B. burgdorferi targets connective
tissues and causes arthritis are not understood, the spirochetes can
bind to a number of different cell types, including fibroblasts. A
novel
circulating fibroblast-like cell called the peripheral blood fibrocyte
has recently been described. Fibrocytes express collagen types I and
III
as well as fibronectin. Besides playing a role in wound healing,
fibrocytes have the potential to target to connective tissue and the
functional capacity to recruit, activate, and present antigen to CD4(+)

T cells.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rhesus monkey fibrocytes were isolated and
characterized by flow cytometry. B. burgdorferi were incubated with
human or monkey fibrocyte cultures in vitro and the cellular
interactions analyzed by light and electron microscopy. The two strains

of B. burgdorferi studied included JD1, which is highly pathogenic for
monkeys, and M297, which lacks the cell surface OspA and OspB proteins.
RESULTS: In this study, we demonstrate that B. burgdorferi binds to

both human and monkey (rhesus) fibrocytes in vitro. This process does
not require OspA or OspB. In addition, the spirochetes are not
phagocytosed but are taken into deep recesses of the cell membrane, a
process that may protect them from the immune
system.
CONCLUSIONS: This interaction between B. burgdorferi and
peripheral
blood fibrocytes provides a potential explanation for the targeting of
spirochetes to joint connective tissue and may contribute to the
inflammatory process in Lyme arthritis.

PMID: 10072447 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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