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Active immunization with pC protein ofBorrelia burgdorferi protects gerbils againstB. burgdorferi infection

Aktive Immunisierung mit pC-Protein von Borrelia burgdorferi hat bei Gerbils protektive Wirkung gegen die B. burgdorferi-Infektionen

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Summary

Serious infection due toBorrelia burgdorferi and the disseminated infection characteristic of the disease possess unique treatment problems. The wide and still increasing incidence of Lyme borreliosis as well as the problems in treatment call for effective prevention strategies by active immunization. Vaccination experiments were done to determine if active immunization of gerbils with recombinant OspA and pC protects against infection with strains ofB. burgdorferi. Gerbils were vaccinated with recombinant OspA and pC (20 kDa protein) and challenged four weeks later with a clone (derived fromB. burgdorferi strain PKo) which expresses an abundant amount of pC but only little OspA. Non-immunized gerbils challenged with the sameB. burgdorferi strain were used as controls. Both groups of immunized gerbils developed antibodies against the recombinant vaccines. The pC vaccinated group was protected against infection, whereas the OspA vaccinated group showed signs of infection. The non-vaccinated group developed generalised infection. These results show that pC should be considered as a further vaccine candidate and probably needs to be combined with OspA for an efficient vaccine againstB. burgdorferi.

Zusammenfassung

Weite Verbreitung und zunehmende Inzidenz der Lyme Borreliose sowie Therapieprobleme bei schweren Erkrankungsformen besonders im Spätstdadium der Infektion sind Gründe für die Entwicklung einer möglichen Alternative zur Antiobitikatherapie wie zum Beispiel Schutzimpfung. Die Schutzwirkung einer aktiven Immunisierung mit rekombinanten OspA und pC gegen die Infektion mitBorrelia burgdorferi wurde bei Gerbils geprüft. Die Tiere wurden mit rekombinanten OspA und pC vomB. burgdorferi-Stamm PKo immunisiert; die Infektion erfolgte vier Wochen nach der Immunisierung mit dem PKo-Stamm (schwache OspA, gute pC Expression). Als Kontrollgruppe dienten infizierte, nicht immunisierte Gerbils. Die immunisierten Tiere bildeten Antikörper gegen rekombinante Vakzine. Die mit pC immunisierten Tiere waren vor der Infektion geschützt, die Kontrollgruppe zeigte eine generalisierte Infektion. Die Immunisierung mit OspA schützte nicht, die Tiere zeigten, wie die Kontrollgruppe Merkmale der Infektion. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie zeigen, daß pC für eine Immunisierung in Frage kommt. Eine Kombination von OspA und pC scheint für eine effektive Vakzine gegenBorrelia burgdorferi nötig zu sein.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max v. Pettenkofer-Institut, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Pettenkoferstr. 9a, Germany

    Vera Preac-Mursic,  Bettina Wilske,  Sigrid Jauris,  Gitta Will,  Sylvia Reinhardt &  Gisela Lehnert

  2. Institut für Neuropathologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Thalkirchnerstraße 36, Germany

    E. Patsouris &  P. Mehraein

  3. Mikrogen GmbH, Westendstraße 125, W-8000, München 2, Germany

    E. Soutschek

  4. Behringwerke AG, W-3550, Marburg, Germany

    U. Klockmann

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  1. Vera Preac-Mursic
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Preac-Mursic, V., Wilske, B., Jauris, S. et al. Active immunization with pC protein ofBorrelia burgdorferi protects gerbils againstB. burgdorferi infection. Infection 20, 342–349 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01710681

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