A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha treatment activates Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes 4 weeks after ceftriaxone treatment in C3H/He mice
Authors: Yrjanainen H, Hytonen J, Song XYR, Oksi J, Hartiala K, Viljanen MK
Publisher: UNIV CHICAGO PRESS
Publication year: 2007
Journal: Journal of Infectious Diseases
Journal name in source: JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
Journal acronym: J INFECT DIS
Volume: 195
Issue: 10
First page : 1489
Last page: 1496
Number of pages: 8
ISSN: 0022-1899
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/513873
Abstract
Background. The effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha treatment in Borrelia burgdorferi-infected and ceftriaxone-treated C3H/He mice was evaluated.Methods. Mice were infected with B. garinii angstrom 218 or B. burgdorferi sensu stricto N40. At 2 weeks of infection, one group was treated simultaneously with ceftriaxone and anti-TNF-alpha, whereas another received ceftriaxone at 2 weeks and anti-TNF-alpha 4 weeks later. One group received ceftriaxone treatment only. Infected and noninfected control groups were sham treated.Results. At 14 weeks of infection, B. burgdorferi could not be detected by cultivation or by polymerase chain reaction in tissue samples of any mouse treated with ceftriaxone only. However, spirochetes grew from the tissue samples of one-third of the mice treated with anti-TNF-alpha simultaneously or 4 weeks after ceftriaxone. These activated spirochetes showed ceftriaxone sensitivity rates, plasmid profiles, and virulence rates similar to those of bacteria used to infect the mice. All infected control mice and mice given anti-TNF-alpha only were culture positive.Conclusions. This report shows that, after ceftriaxone treatment for 5 days, a portion of B. burgdorferi-infected mice still have live spirochetes in their body, which are activated by anti-TNF-alpha treatment.
Background. The effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha treatment in Borrelia burgdorferi-infected and ceftriaxone-treated C3H/He mice was evaluated.Methods. Mice were infected with B. garinii angstrom 218 or B. burgdorferi sensu stricto N40. At 2 weeks of infection, one group was treated simultaneously with ceftriaxone and anti-TNF-alpha, whereas another received ceftriaxone at 2 weeks and anti-TNF-alpha 4 weeks later. One group received ceftriaxone treatment only. Infected and noninfected control groups were sham treated.Results. At 14 weeks of infection, B. burgdorferi could not be detected by cultivation or by polymerase chain reaction in tissue samples of any mouse treated with ceftriaxone only. However, spirochetes grew from the tissue samples of one-third of the mice treated with anti-TNF-alpha simultaneously or 4 weeks after ceftriaxone. These activated spirochetes showed ceftriaxone sensitivity rates, plasmid profiles, and virulence rates similar to those of bacteria used to infect the mice. All infected control mice and mice given anti-TNF-alpha only were culture positive.Conclusions. This report shows that, after ceftriaxone treatment for 5 days, a portion of B. burgdorferi-infected mice still have live spirochetes in their body, which are activated by anti-TNF-alpha treatment.
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