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Arthritogenicity of Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia garinii: Comparison of Infection in Mice

Arthritogenicity, as determined by joint swelling and synovial histology, was compared between or within two Borrelia genospecies that cause Lyme arthritis in humans. The spirochete burden in bladder tissue (a site of spirochete persistence) was documented by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immune responses were analyzed. In C3H/HeJ mice, three B. burgdorferi isolates and two of the three B. garinii isolates induced severe arthritis and swelling. Previous designation as invasive or noninvasive B. garinii, or RNA spacer type of B. burgdorferi did not determine arthritis severity induced by isolates. Compared with the other five isolates, the B. garinii PBi isolate induced significantly less arthritis, a lower humoral immune response, and persisted at a much lower level in bladder tissue. However, B. garinii PBi isolates induced similar Borrelia antigen-specific inflammatory T cell responses from the local draining lymph node. Thus, diverse B. burgdorferi and B. garinii isolates were highly arthritogenic in immune competent mice.

Received June 6, 2008. Accepted for publication October 6, 2008.

Acknowledgments: We thank Dr. Allen C. Steere for advice during the study and in preparing the manuscript for publication.

Financial support: This study was supported by a research grant from the Harold G. and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation (Lisa J. Glickstein) and a training award (T32 RA07570) from the National Institutes of Health (Kathlenn A. Craig-Mylius).

^* Address correspondence to Lisa J. Glickstein, Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Room 8301, Charlestown, MA 02129. E-mail: lglickstein{at}waldenhealthcare.com

Authors’ addresses: Kathleen A. Craig-Mylius, 390 Belknap Road, Framingham, MA 01701, E-mail: kcraigmy{at}vt.edu. Marshall Lee, Drexel University School of Medicine, 2900 W. Queen Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129, E-mail: mkl36{at}drexel.edu. Kathryn L. Jones and Lisa J. Glickstein, Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Room 8301, Charlestown, MA 02129, E-mails: kljones{at}partners.org and lglickstein{at}waldenhealthcare.com.

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