Cellular and humoral immune responses to Borrelia burgdorferi antigens in patients with culture-positive early Lyme disease.

We determined cellular and humoral immune responses to Borrelia burgdorferi lysate and to recombinant flagellin (FlaB), OspC, and OspA in acute- and convalescent-phase samples from 39 culture-positive patients with erythema migrans and in 20 healthy control subjects. During the acute illness, a median of 4 days after the onset of erythema migrans, 51% of the patients had proliferative cellular responses and 72% had antibody responses to at least one of the borrelial antigens tested. During convalescence, at the conclusion of antibiotic therapy, 64% of the patients had proliferative cellular reactivity and 95% had antibody reactivity with at least one of the spirochetal antigens tested. In both acute- and convalescent-phase samples, cellular immune responses were found as frequently to OspA as to OspC and FlaB. Although antibody responses were also frequently seen to OspC and FlaB, only a few patients had marginal antibody reactivity with OspA. The percentage of patients with proliferative responses was similar in those with clinical evidence of localized or disseminated infection, whereas humoral reactivity was found more often in those with disseminated disease. We conclude that cellular and humoral responses to B. burgdorferi antigens are often found among patients with early Lyme disease. In contrast with the other antigens tested, cellular but not humoral reactivity was often found with OspA.

Persistence of immunoglobulin M or immunoglobulin G antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi 10-20 years after active Lyme disease.

The interpretation of serological results for patients who had Lyme disease many years ago is not well defined. We studied the serological status of 79 patients who had had Lyme disease 10-20 years ago and did not currently have signs or symptoms of active Lyme disease. Of the 40 patients who had had early Lyme disease alone, 4 (10%) currently had IgM responses to Borrelia burgdorferi, and 10 (25%) still had IgG reactivity to the spirochete, as determined by a 2-test approach (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot). Of the 39 patients who had had Lyme arthritis, 6 (15%) currently had IgM responses and 24 (62%) still had IgG reactivity to the spirochete. IgM or IgG antibody responses to B. burgdorferi may persist for 10-20 years, but these responses are not indicative of active infection.

Optic neuropathy in children with Lyme disease.

Involvement of the optic nerve, either because of inflammation or increased intracranial pressure, is a rare manifestation of Lyme disease. Of the 4 children reported here with optic nerve abnormalities, 2 had decreased vision months after disease onset attributable to optic neuritis, and 1 had headache and diplopia early in the infection because of increased intracranial pressure associated with Lyme meningitis. In these 3 children, optic nerve involvement responded well to intravenous ceftriaxone therapy. The fourth child had headache and visual loss attributable to increased intracranial pressure and perhaps also to optic neuritis. Despite treatment with ceftriaxone and steroids, he had persistent increased intracranial pressure leading to permanent bilateral blindness. Clinicians should be aware that neuro-ophthalmologic involvement of Lyme disease may have significant consequences. If increased intracranial pressure persists despite antibiotic therapy, measures must be taken quickly to reduce the pressure.

Differences in synovial fluid levels of matrix metalloproteinases suggest separate mechanisms of pathogenesis in Lyme arthritis before and after antibiotic treatment.

The cause of persistent arthritis in patients with Lyme disease who have received standard antibiotic therapy remains an area of debate. In this study, synovial fluid levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were compared in persons with untreated and antibiotic-resistant Lyme arthritis. Levels of MMP-1 and MMP-3, as determined by ELISA, were higher in untreated patients (P=.0064 and P=.002, respectively), whereas levels of MMP-8 and MMP-9 were higher in antibiotic-resistant patients (P=.0002 and P=.0014, respectively). In vitro studies of chondrocyte cultures infected with Borrelia burgdorferi revealed induction of MMP-1 and MMP-3 but not of MMP-8 or MMP-9. Neither Staphylococcus aureus nor lipopolysaccharide stimulated MMP-1 or MMP-3 release from these cells. The mechanism of recognition of B. burgdorferi may be through CD14 and toll-like receptor-2, which were up-regulated in the presence of B. burgdorferi. These findings suggest different stimuli for MMP induction in untreated and antibiotic-resistant Lyme arthritis.

Host metalloproteinases in Lyme arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in cartilage and bone erosions in Lyme arthritis METHODS: We examined synovial fluid from 10 patients with Lyme arthritis for the presence of MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and "aggrecanase" activity using gelatinolytic zymography and immunoblot analysis. We developed an in vitro model of Lyme arthritis using cartilage explants and observed changes in cartilage degradation in the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi and/or various protease inhibitors. RESULTS: Synovial fluid from patients with Lyme arthritis was found to contain at least 3 MMPs: gelatinase A (MMP-2), stromelysin (MMP-3), and gelatinase B (MMP-9). In addition, there was evidence in 2 patients of "aggrecanase" activity not accounted for by the above enzymes. Infection of cartilage explants with B. burgdorferi resulted in induction of MMP-3, MMP-9, and "aggrecanase" activity. Increased induction of these enzymes by B. burgdorferi alone was not sufficient to cause cartilage destruction in the explants as measured by glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and hydroxyproline release. However, addition of plasminogen, which can act as an MMP activator, to cultures resulted in significant GAG and hydroxyproline release in the presence of B. burgdorferi. The MMP inhibitor batimastat significantly reduced the GAG release and completely inhibited the collagen degradation. CONCLUSION: MMPs are found in synovial fluids from patients with Lyme arthritis and are induced from cartilage tissue by the presence of B. burgdorferi. Inhibition of MMP activity prevents B. burgdorferi-induced cartilage degradation in vitro.

Autoimmune mechanisms in antibiotic treatment-resistant lyme arthritis.

In about 10% of patients with Lyme arthritis in the United States, joint inflammation persists for months or even several years after the apparent eradication of the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, from the joint with antibiotic treatment. We propose a model of molecular mimicry affecting genetically susceptible individuals to explain this treatment-resistant course. The majority of patients with treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis have HLA-DRB1*0401 or related alleles, and the severity and duration of their arthritis correlate with cellular and humoral immune responses to outer-surface protein A OspA) of the spirochete. Using an algorithm, the immunodominant epitope of OspA presented by the DRB1*0401 molecule was predicted to be located at aa 165-173. In a search of the Genetics Computer Group gene bank, only one human protein was identified, lymphocyte function associated antigen-1 (hLFA-1), that had sequence homology with OspA(165-173)and predicted binding in the DRB1*0401 molecule. Synovial fluid T cells from most patients with treatment-resistant arthritis responded to both OspA and hLFA-1, whereas those from patients with other forms of chronic inflammatory arthritis did not. Molecular mimicry between a dominant T cell epitope of OspA and hLFA-1 may be an important factor in the persistence of joint inflammation in genetically susceptible patients with treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis.

Molecular mimicry in Lyme arthritis demonstrated at the single cell level: LFA-1 alpha L is a partial agonist for outer surface protein A-reactive T cells.

Antibiotic treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disease that follows infection with Borrelia burgdorferi (BB:). A marked Ab and T cell response to BB: outer surface protein A (OspA) often develops during prolonged episodes of arthritis. Furthermore, cross-reaction between the bacterial OspA and human LFA-1alpha(L) at the T cell level and the inability to detect BB: in the joint implicate an autoimmune mechanism. To analyze the nature of response to OspA and LFA-1alpha(L), we used OspA-specific T cell hybrids from DR4 transgenic mice, as well as cloned human cells specific for OspA(165-184), the immunodominant epitope, from five DRB1*0401(+) patients, using OspA-MHC class II tetramers. Although OspA(165-184) stimulated nearly all OspA-specific human T cell clones tested to proliferate and secrete IFN-gamma and IL-13, LFA-1alpha(L326-345) stimulated approximately 10% of these clones to proliferate and a greater percentage to secrete IL-13. Assays with LFA- or OspA-DR4 monomers revealed that higher concentrations of LFA-DR4 were needed to stimulate dual-reactive T cell hybrids. Our analysis at the clonal level demonstrates that human LFA-1alpha(L326-345) behaves as a partial agonist, perhaps playing a role in perpetuating symptoms of arthritis.

Expression of adhesion molecules in synovia of patients with treatment-resistant lyme arthritis.

The expression of adhesion molecules in synovium in patients with Lyme arthritis is surely critical in the control of Borrelia burgdorferi infection but may also have pathologic consequences. For example, molecular mimicry between a dominant T-cell epitope of B. burgdorferi outer surface protein A and an adhesion molecule, human lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1), has been implicated in the pathogenesis of treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis. Using immunohistochemical methods, we examined synovial samples for expression of adhesion molecules in 29 patients with treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis and in 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis or chronic inflammatory monoarthritis. In Lyme arthritis synovia, endothelial cells showed intense expression of P-selectin and vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1). Expression of LFA-1 was also intense on infiltrating cells, particularly in lymphoid aggregates, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was markedly expressed on synovial lining and endothelial and infiltrating cells. Moderate expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) was seen on synovial lining and endothelial cells, and mild expression of its ligand, very late antigen-4, was apparent in perivascular lymphoid infiltrates. Except for lesser expression of VCAM-1 in Lyme synovia, the levels of expression of these adhesion molecules were similar in the three patient groups. We conclude that certain adhesion molecules, including ICAM-1 and LFA-1, are expressed intensely in the synovia of patients with Lyme arthritis. Upregulation of LFA-1 on lymphocytes in this lesion may be critical in the pathogenesis of treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis.

Recognition of multiple antibody epitopes throughout Borrelia burgdorferi p66, a candidate adhesin, in patients with early or late manifestations of Lyme disease.

Antibody responses to p66, a candidate integrin ligand of Borrelia burgdorferi, were studied in 79 patients with early or late manifestations of Lyme disease. The central portion of p66 was previously shown to contain all of the information required for specific recognition of beta3-chain integrins, but work by others had suggested that the C-terminal portion of the protein contains a single surface-exposed, immunodominant loop. In examining antibody responses to full-length p66 and to three overlapping fragments of the protein, we found that the majority of Lyme disease patients had immunoglobulin M (IgM) and/or IgG responses to p66 and that, particularly early in the disease, epitopes throughout p66 were recognized. Among patients with later manifestations of the illness, antibody responses to the C-terminal portion of the protein were more prominent. These results demonstrate that Lyme disease patient sera recognize epitopes throughout p66.

Evaluation of study patients with Lyme disease, 10-20-year follow-up.

To determine the long-term impact of Lyme disease, we evaluated 84 randomly selected, original study patients from the Lyme, Connecticut, region who had erythema migrans, facial palsy, or Lyme arthritis 10-20 years ago and 30 uninfected control subjects. The patients in the 3 study groups and the control group did not differ significantly in current symptoms or neuropsychological test results. However, patients with facial palsy, who frequently had more widespread nervous system involvement, more often had residual facial or peripheral nerve deficits. Moreover, patients with facial palsy who did not receive antibiotics for acute neuroborreliosis more often now had joint pain and sleep difficulty and lower scores on the body pain index and standardized physical component sections of the Short-Form 36 Health Assessment Questionnaire than did antibiotic-treated patients with facial palsy. Thus, the overall current health status of each patient group was good, but sequelae were apparent primarily among patients with facial palsy who did not receive antibiotics for acute neuroborreliosis.

Differential expression of cytokine mRNA in skin specimens from patients with erythema migrans or acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans.

Erythema migrans, the characteristic skin manifestation of acute Lyme borreliosis, is a self-limited lesion. In contrast, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, the typical cutaneous manifestation of late Lyme borreliosis, is a chronic skin condition. In an effort to understand pathogenic factors that lead to different outcomes in dermatoborrelioses, skin biopsy samples from 42 patients with erythema migrans and 27 patients with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans were analyzed for mRNA expression of five pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interferon-gamma, and interleukin-2) and two anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-4 and interleukin-10) by in situ hybridization with cytokine-specific riboprobes. Among the 27 patients who had erythema migrans alone with no associated signs or symptoms, the major cytokines expressed in perivascular infiltrates of T cells and macrophages were the pro-inflammatory cytokine interferon-gamma and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10. In the 15 erythema migrans patients who had associated signs and symptoms, including headache, elevated temperature, arthralgias, myalgias, or fatigue, a larger number of macrophages and greater expression of macrophage-derived pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6, were also found. In comparison, infiltrates of T cells and macrophages in the skin lesions of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans patients had very little or no interferon-gamma expression. Instead, they usually expressed only the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-4. Thus, the activation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in erythema migrans lesions, particularly interferon-gamma, seems to be important in the control of the spirochetal infection. In contrast, the restricted pattern of cytokine expression in acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans, including the lack of interferon-gamma, may be less effective in spirochetal killing, resulting in the chronicity of this skin lesion. J Invest Dermatol 115:1115-1123 2000

Direct enumeration of Borrelia-reactive CD4 T cells ex vivo by using MHC class II tetramers.

We characterized antigen-specific CD4(+) T cells in six patients with treatment-resistant Lyme arthritis, using an HLA-DRB1*0401 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II tetramer covalently loaded with OspA(164-175), an immunodominant epitope of Borrelia burgdorferi. Direct analysis of OspA-tetramer binding CD4(+) cells in patients expressing the HLA-DRB1*0401 allele revealed frequencies of between <0.005 and 0.1% in peripheral blood (n = 6), and between <0.005 and 3.1% in synovial fluid (n = 3). OspA-tetramer(+)CD4(+) cells were directly cloned at 1 cell per well and expanded by mitogen and IL-2 on allogeneic feeder cells. As measured by [(3)H]thymidine incorporation, 95% of 168 T cell clones from synovial fluid binding the OspA-tetramer were antigen-reactive. Clones generated from peripheral blood revealed a different pattern of responsiveness when compared with clones generated from synovial fluid, as measured by proliferation, IFN-gamma, and IL-13 secretion. These clones, selected on the basis of their peptide binding, also responded to whole protein, but with a different cytokine profile. Our studies demonstrate that MHC class II tetramers can be used in humans to directly identify, isolate, and characterize antigen-reactive T cells from an inflammatory compartment.

Soluble CD14 levels in the serum, synovial fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with various stages of Lyme disease.

Levels of circulating soluble CD14 (sCD14) in patients with various stages of Lyme disease (LD) were examined. Patients with early or untreated late LD had significantly higher levels of sCD14 than did healthy controls (P=.0001 and .0007, respectively); levels returned to normal within 3 months after antibiotic therapy. Patients with persistent posttreatment symptoms of LD had sCD14 levels equivalent to those of healthy controls. Differences in the serum sCD14 levels in patients with various stages of LD are likely to be directly correlated with differences in bacterial burden, suggesting that posttreatment symptoms may not require continued presence of the organism. sCD14 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with any stage of LD were no different from those of control subjects. Levels of synovial fluid sCD14 from patients with Borrelia burgdorferi in their joints were elevated, compared with levels in normal serum, and may play a role in the pathogenesis of arthritis.

Prominent expression of mRNA for proinflammatory cytokines in synovium in patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or chronic Lyme arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the cytokine profiles in synovium of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) or Lyme arthritis, 2 chronic inflammatory arthritides that affect children. METHODS: We used in situ hybridization with specific riboprobes to determine the expression of mRNA for proinflammatory or antiinflammatory cytokines in synovial samples from 5 patients with early, untreated JRA, 15 patients with late, treated JRA, and 9 patients with chronic Lyme arthritis. For comparison, synovia were examined from 6 patients with rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, and from 9 patients with various orthopedic conditions. RESULTS: Among the children with early, untreated JRA, a median of 3 to 8% of inflammatory cells in synovial samples expressed mRNA for the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha), or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Although a median of 3.9% of the cells expressed mRNA for the antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10, none had IL-4 mRNA. Most of the patients with late, treated JRA, chronic Lyme arthritis, rheumatoid, or psoriatic arthritis had mRNA for each of these proinflammatory cytokines in about 1% of the cells, whereas mRNA for the antiinflammatory cytokines was less frequent. The inflammatory cell density was much less in the synovium of patients with various orthopedic conditions, but about 1% of the infiltrating cells expressed mRNA for at least one of the proinflammatory cytokines. CONCLUSION: Patients with early or late JRA or chronic Lyme arthritis have expression of mRNA in synovial tissue primarily for proinflammatory cytokines, with less expression of antiinflammatory cytokines.

Increased IgA rheumatoid factor and V(H)1 associated cross reactive idiotype expression in patients with Lyme arthritis and neuroborreliosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether autoreactive mechanisms occur in Lyme disease (LD) by determining IgA, IgG and IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) concentrations and RF associated cross reactive idiotype (CRI) expression in the serum of LD patients, with comparison to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: The RF isotype profiles were determined in 59 patients with LD; erythema migrans (EM) (n=19), neuroborreliosis (NB) (n=20) and Lyme arthritis (LA) (n=20). Mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) G6 and G8 (V(H)1 gene associated), D12 (V(H)3 gene associated) and C7 (V(kappa)III gene associated) were then used to determine the RF associated CRI expression on IgM antibodies in 16 of these LD patients (eight seropositive for RF); (EM (n=3), NB (n=6), LA (n=7)). RESULTS: Seven (18%) patients with either NB or LA had increased concentrations of IgA RF compared with none with EM. Significant differences in the number of patients with raised concentrations of IgG RF or IgM RF were not found between the LD patient groups. Five (3NB, 1LA and 1 EM) (31%) and three (2NB and 1LA) (19%) of LD patients had raised concentrations of the CRIs recognised by mAbs G6 and G8, respectively. These CRIs were detected in LD sera both with and without raised concentrations of RF and were not demonstrated on anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies using ELISA. No LD sera tested had raised concentrations of the determinants recognised by mAbs C7 or D12. CONCLUSION: Significantly raised concentrations of IgA RF and increased use of V(H)1 germline gene associated CRIs are found on IgM antibodies in the serum of LD patients. These data indicate the recruitment of autoreactive B lymphocytes in some patients with the later stages of LD.