-
Antonella Marangoni,
Cristina Nanni,
Carmelo Quarta,
Claudio Foschi,
Incoronata Russo,
Paola Nardini,
Antonietta D'Errico,
Francesca Rosini,
Alice Ferretti,
Rita Aldini,
Roberto Cevenini,
Domenico Rubello
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to explore the feasibility of (11)C-Choline PET in the assessment of the degree of inflammation in the Chlamydia muridarum genital infection model. PROCEDURES: Forty female Balb/c mice received 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate i.m. 9 and 2 days prior to the infection: 21 mice were infected by C. muridarum into the vaginal vault, 12 mice were treated with inactivated chlamydiae, and 7 mice were SPG buffer-treated as negative controls. Three healthy control mice were not treated with progesterone. Mice in each category were randomly subdivided in two groups: (1) sacrificed at 5, 10, 15, and 20 days for histological analysis and (2) undergoing (11)C-Choline PET at days 5, 10, and 20 post-infection (20 MBq of (11)C-Choline, uptake time of 10 min, acquisition through a small-animal PET tomograph for 15 min). RESULTS: Infected animals showed a significantly higher standardized uptake value than both controls and animals inoculated with heat-inactivated chlamydiae in each PET scan (P < 0.05). All organs of the infected animals had scores of inflammation ranging between 2 and 3 at day 5, decreasing to 1-2 at day 20. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary result demonstrated that (11)C-Choline PET can highlight a specific proliferation mechanism of inflammatory cells induced by C. muridarum, thanks to a very high sensitivity in detecting very small amounts of tracer in inflammatory cells.
Molecular imaging and biology: MIB: the official publication of the Academy of Molecular Imaging 01/2013; · 2.47 Impact Factor
-
Elisa Michelini,
Manuela Donati,
Rita Aldini,
Luca Cevenini,
Laura Mezzanotte,
Paola Nardini,
Claudio Foschi,
Ido Ben Zvi,
Monica Cevenini,
Marco Montagnani, Antonella Marangoni,
Aldo Roda,
Roberto Cevenini
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Chlamydia pneumoniae and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) are intracellular pathogens able to infect hepatocytes, causing an increase in serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels due to the production of inflammatory cytokines. We investigated whether these pathogens could interfere with cholesterol metabolism by affecting activity of hepatic cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) promoter. CYP7A1 is the rate-limiting enzyme responsible for conversion of cholesterol to bile acids, which represents the main route of cholesterol catabolism. A straightforward dual-reporter bioluminescent assay was developed to simultaneously monitor CYP7A1 transcriptional regulation and cell viability in infected human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells. C. pneumoniae and HCMV infection significantly decreased CYP7A1 promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal inhibitions of 33±10% and 32±4%, respectively, at a multiplicity of infection of 1. To support in vitro experiments, serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose levels were also measured in Balb/c mice infected with C. pneumoniae. Serum cholesterol and triglycerides also increased in infected mice compared with controls. Although further investigation is required, this work presents the first experimental evidence that C. pneumoniae and HCMV inhibit CYP7A1 gene transcription in the cultured human hepatoblastoma cell line.
Analytical Biochemistry 08/2012; 430(1):92-6. · 3.00 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: We studied the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) urogenital infection and the distribution of different genotypes in a non-selected STD population of 1625 patients, evaluating presence of coinfections with other sexually transmitted diseases. Each patient was bled to perform serological tests for syphilis and HIV, then urethral or endocervical swabs were obtained for the detection of CT and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by culture. DNA extracted from remnant positive swabs was amplified by omp1 Nested PCR and products were sequenced. Total prevalence of CT infection was 6.3% (103/1625), with strong differences between men and women (11.4% vs 3.9%, P<0.01). Clinical symptoms and coinfections were much more frequent in men than in women (P<0.01). The most common serovar was E (prevalence of 38.8%), followed by G (23.3%), F (13.5%) D/Da (11.6%) and J (4.8%). Serovars distribution was statistically different between men and women (P=0.042) and among patients with or without coinfection (P=0.035); patients infected by serovar D/Da showed the highest coinfection rate. This study can be considered a contribution in increasing knowledge on CT serovar distribution in Italy. Further studies are needed to better define molecular epidemiology of CT infection and to investigate its correlation with other STDs.
The new microbiologica: official journal of the Italian Society for Medical, Odontoiatric, and Clinical Microbiology (SIMMOC) 04/2012; 35(2):215-9. · 1.00 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) are the two most common sexually transmitted bacterial infections in developed countries. The purpose of the present study was evaluating a new system for CT/GC detection in urine specimens. A total of 700 urine specimens were obtained from patients attending the STD Outpatients Clinic of St. Orsola University Hospital, Bologna, Italy. Samples were tested by VERSANT® CT/GC DNA 1.0 Assay (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., Tarrytown, NY), a multiplex Real-Time PCR assay, for simultaneous CT/GC detection. Results obtained by VERSANT assay were compared with those obtained by culturing genital secretions of the same patients. Moreover, urine specimens testing positive in VERSANT assay were retested by in-house PCR assays, used as confirmatory tests. VERSANT® CT/GC DNA 1.0 Assay performed with 99.4% and 99.2% of specificity for GC and CT detection, respectively, whereas sensitivity was 100% both for CT and GC. Culture methods were 100% specific, but far less sensitive than VERSANT assay. VERSANT® CT/GC DNA 1.0 Assay demonstrated to be a highly sensitive and specific technique for CT/GC detection.
Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis 02/2012; 26(2):70-2. · 1.38 Impact Factor
-
Marco Montagnani,
Matvey Tsivian,
Flavia Neri,
Ido Ben Zvi,
Irina Mantovani,
Paolo Nanni,
Marco Benevento,
Patrizia Simoni, Antonella Marangoni,
Milena Pariali,
Romana Fato,
Christian Bergamini,
Serena Leoni,
Francesco Azzaroli,
Giuseppe Mazzella,
Bruno Nardo,
Enrico Roda,
Rita Aldini
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Due to the importance of intestinal transport in pharmacological studies and the emerging role of intestinal signaling activity in the gut-liver axis, we have developed a new method to investigate intestinal transport and liver signaling using cell and serum free mesenteric perfusion system in the rat. The method regarding bile acid active absorption was validated, then, the portal venous content was examined for fibroblast growth factor 15(FGF15), a putative signaling protein produced by the ileal enterocytes following bile acid absorption. After isolation and cannulation of the relevant vessels (abdominal aorta and portal vein), the abdominal aorta and the terminal ileum were infused with respectively Krebs-Ringer solution and tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDCA) and the absorption was assessed by its recovery in the portal vein. After immunoblot, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis were performed both on gel bands digestion products and on portal outflow samples in order to evaluate if negligible amounts of FGF15 were present in the portal circulation. TUDCA absorption was efficient, intestinal morphology and oxygen consumption were normal. Despite accurate analysis, we could not find FGF15. Our method proved to be reliable for studying the active bile acid absorption. It is also suitable to identify molecules produced by enterocytes and transferred to the portal circulation in response to absorption of different substances such as nutrients or drugs. Since FGF15 was not recovered we suggest the possibilities that this protein is produced in very little amounts, poorly transferred outside the cell, or that it is extremely unstable and rapidly degraded.
Medicinal chemistry (Shāriqah (United Arab Emirates)) 05/2011; 7(4):257-64. · 1.64 Impact Factor
-
Cristina Nanni, Antonella Marangoni,
Carmelo Quarta,
Donato Di Pierro,
Anna Rizzello,
Silvia Trespidi,
Daniela D'Ambrosio,
Valentina Ambrosini,
Manuela Donati,
Rita Aldini,
Paolo Zanotti-Fregonara,
Gaia Grassetto,
Domenico Rubello,
Stefano Fanti,
Roberto Cevenini
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: [(18)F]-FDG is a widely used tracer for the non-invasive evaluation of hypermetabolic processes like cancer and inflammation. However, [(18)F]-FDG is considered inaccurate for the diagnosis of urinary tract and genital infections because of its urinary excretion. Since the 1970s, Gallium scintigraphy is a well established test that has been used for the evaluation of inflammation and infection in human patients.
The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of (68)Ga-Chloride small animal PET for the analysis of an animal model of genital infection, induced after the vaginal inoculum of Chlamydia muridarum. Material and Thirty mice were infected by placing 15 microl sucrose phosphate glutamic acid (SPG) 10(7) inclusion forming units of C. muridarum into the vaginal vault. As controls of inflammation, three animals were challenged with 15 microl of SPG and one healthy animal was used to assess the tracer biodistribution. Four animals died during the experiment. Eleven animals were evaluated with (68)Ga-Chloride small animal PET (GE, eXplore Vista) 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 days after infection, as well as three controls of inflammation and one healthy animal. Infection was monitored by obtaining cervical-vaginal swabs from all the animals on the day of each PET procedure. Moreover, five groups of three animals each were killed at 6, 13, 20, 27 and 34 days after infection were studied.
(68)Ga-PET turned out positive in all the infected animals, concordantly to data obtained by the cervical swabs and by the ex vivo analysis. The tumour-to-background ratio (TBR) decreased over time as the inflammation tended to naturally extinguish. The controls showed a slightly increased uptake of tracer due to the aseptic inflammation caused by SPG and frequent cervical swabs. The healthy control did not show any pelvic uptake.
(68)Ga-Chloride is a promising tracer for the assessment of genital infection in a mouse animal model.
Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging 06/2009; 29(3):187-92. · 1.33 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The serological detection of specific antibodies to Treponema pallidum is of particular importance in the diagnosis of syphilis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate diagnostic performances of automated immunoassays in comparison with T. pallidum hemagglutination test (TPHA) and Western Blot (WB). The retrospective study was performed with different panels of sera: 244 clinical and serological characterized syphilitic sera and 203 potentially interfering samples. All the sera were tested by Enzygnost Syphilis, ARCHITECT Syphilis TP, TPHA, and homemade WB. The diagnostic performances of the two assays were very similar: both Enzygnost Syphilis and ARCHITECT Syphilis TP performed with a sensitivity of 99.2%, whereas the specificity was 98.5 and 98.4%, respectively. Considering the suitability for automation, both immunoassays may represent a good choice as a screening test. However, the use of a confirmatory test, such as TPHA or WB, remains a must in order to avoid false-positive results.
Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis 02/2009; 23(1):1-6. · 1.38 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The BfaI digestion of PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the plasmid orf3 of Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia psittaci provided evidence for two distinct restriction patterns, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of orf3 genes confirmed these differences. Serum antibodies against recombinant C. psittaci protein (pgp3) encoded by orf3 were detected both in pigeons with C. psittaci infection and in a human patient with psittacosis.
FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology 01/2007; 48(3):313-8. · 2.44 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To develop an animal model of liver infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) in intraperitoneally infected mice for studying the presence of chlamydiae in Kupffer cells and hepatocytes.
A total of 80 BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with C. pneumoniae and sacrificed at various time points after infection. Chlamydiae were looked for in liver homogenates as well as in Kupffer cells and hepatocytes separated by liver perfusion with collagenase. C. pneumoniae was detected by both isolation in LLC-MK2 cells and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The releasing of TNFA-alpha by C. pneumoniae in vitro stimulated Kupffer cells was studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
C. pneumoniae isolation from liver homogenates reached a plateau on d 7 after infection when 6 of 10 animals were positive, then decreased, and became negative by d 20. C. pneumoniae isolation from separated Kupffer cells reached a plateau on d 7 when 5 of 10 animals were positive, and became negative by d 20. The detection of C. pneumoniae in separated Kupffer cells by FISH, confirmed the results obtained by culture. Isolated hepatocytes were always negative. Stimulation of Kupffer cells by alive C. pneumoniae elicited high TNF-alpha levels.
A productive infection by C. pneumoniae may take place in Kupffer cells and C. pneumoniae induces a local pro-inflammatory activity. C. pneumoniae is therefore, able to act as antigenic stimulus when localized in the liver. One could speculate that C. pneumoniae infection, involving cells of the innate immunity such as Kupffer cells, could also trigger pathological immune reactions involving the liver, as observed in human patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.
World Journal of Gastroenterology 11/2006; 12(40):6453-7. · 2.47 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Leptospires, the agents of leptospirosis, exert tropism for the central nervous system, in the course of mammal infection. We evaluated the interaction between murine microglial cells and strains of pathogenic L. interrogans leptospires and non-pathogenic L. biflexa leptospires, mainly by flow cytometric assays. In the absence of opsonic conditions microglia are capable of ingesting--even quite slowly--the spirochetes and killing the non-pathogenic strain. The adhesion to microglia, which is quick and relevant for all the strains, does not involve the CR3 integrin receptor. These findings suggest that the murine microglia--in non opsonic conditions in vitro--do not effectively clear the pathogenic leptospires.
The new microbiologica: official journal of the Italian Society for Medical, Odontoiatric, and Clinical Microbiology (SIMMOC) 08/2006; 29(3):193-9. · 1.00 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: To evaluate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in rat isolated Kupffer cells (KCs) stimulated by Leptospira interrogans and Borrelia burgdorferi.
Rat Kupffer cells were separated by perfusion of the liver with 0.05% collagenase, and purified by Percoll gradients. Purified Kupffer cells were tested in vitro with alive L. interogans and B. burgdorferi preparations. The production of ROS was determined by chemiluminescence, whereas iNOS protein expression was evaluated by Western blot assay using anti-iNOS antibodies.
B. burgdorferi and to a less extent L. interrogans induced ROS production with a peak 35 min after infection. The chemiluminescence signal progressively diminished and was undetectable by 180 min of incubation. Leptospirae and borreliae induced an increased iNOS expression in Kupffer cells that peaked at 6 hours and was still evident 22 h after infection.
Both genera of spirochetes induced ROS and iNOS production in rat Kupffer cells. Since the cause of liver damage both in leptospiral as well as in borrelial infections are still unknown, we suggest that leptospira and borrelia damage of the liver can be initially mediated by oxygen radicals, and is then maintained at least in part by nitric oxide.
World Journal of Gastroenterology 06/2006; 12(19):3077-81. · 2.47 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the LIAISON Borrelia Screen (Diasorin, Saluggia, Italy), a new automated immunoassay based on the chemiluminescent technology (chemiluminescence immunoassay). To assess whether a decrease in a negative value in the anti-VlsE immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titer was correlated with a positive response to treatment, a group of serially collected serum samples from 67 patients with culture-confirmed erythema migrans was retrospectively studied. All the patients had been treated with antibiotics and were free of disease within 3 to 6 months of follow-up. All the 15 patients who were found to be IgG positive at the time of enrollment and who were bled at least four times during the follow-up became IgG seronegative at 2 to 6 months posttreatment. These results indicate that a decline in the anti-VlsE antibody titer coincides with effective antimicrobial therapy in patients with early localized Lyme disease.
Clinical and Vaccine Immunology 05/2006; 13(4):525-9. · 2.55 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of LIAISON Treponema Screen (DiaSorin, Saluggia, Italy), a new automated chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA), in comparison with that of rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and the following currently used treponemal tests: hemagglutination test (TPHA), immunoenzymatic assay (EIA), and Western blot (WB). First, a retrospective study was performed with a panel of 2,494 blood donor sera, a panel of 131 clinical and serologically characterized syphilitic sera, and 96 samples obtained from subjects with potentially interfering diseases or conditions. A prospective study was also performed by testing 1,800 unselected samples submitted to the Microbiology Laboratory of the St. Orsola Hospital in Bologna, Italy, for routine screening for syphilis. As expected, RPR was the least specific method, especially when potentially cross-reacting sera were tested. On the contrary, all of the treponemal tests proved to be very specific (99.9%) and they performed with the following sensitivities: 100% (WB), 99.2% (CLIA), 95.4% (EIA), and 94.7% (TPHA).
Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology 11/2005; 12(10):1231-4. · 2.51 Impact Factor
-
Antonella Marangoni,
Vittorio Sambri,
Francesca Cavrini,
Alessia Frabetti,
Elisa Storni,
Silvia Accardo,
Dora Servidio,
Federico Foschi,
Lucio Montebugnoli,
Carlo Prati,
Roberto Cevenini
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: It has long been assumed that parodontal disease can be a cause of false positive results in syphilis serology, but so far there are no definitive data supporting this hypothesis. In this study we tested 250 serum samples obtained from blood donors. All of them were negative when routinely screened for antibodies against Treponema pallidum. Then, all these samples were tested by immunoenzymatic (ELISA) and Western Blot (WB) assays to investigate reactivities against T. denticola. Thirteen samples showed a strong positivity when tested by both methods. When tested by WB against T. pallidum no sample met the positivity criteria. Nevertheless, bands with molecolar weights of about 30-35 KDa (endoflagellar core antigens) were recognized. All the 13 subjects serologically T. denticola positive underwent oral clinical and radiological observation: all showed a very poor parodontal status (CPSS > 103). Eleven crevicular fluid samples out of the total of 13 patients were T. denticola positive by Real Time PCR carried out using a LightCycler system. In this study we demonstrated that the presence of T. denticola in the crevicular fluid samples obtained from patients with a severe periodontal status and/or a positive serology against T. denticola is not a cause of false positive results in syphilis serology.
The new microbiologica: official journal of the Italian Society for Medical, Odontoiatric, and Clinical Microbiology (SIMMOC) 07/2005; 28(3):215-21. · 1.00 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The TprI antigen of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum is a putative virulence factor predicted to be located in the outer membrane of the syphilis spirochete. In this study, we analyzed the immune response against TprI and its subunits in sera collected both from rabbits experimentally infected with the Nichols strain and from patients with syphilis, showing a different pattern of reactivity toward the antigen in these two groups of samples. The protective ability of recombinant TprI and its hypothetical outer membrane location were also investigated. Although no rabbit was protected after challenge, immunoelectron microscopy results, to be further investigated, were compatible with the outer membrane location of the antigen.
Infection and Immunity 07/2005; 73(6):3817-22. · 4.16 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: In this study the raising and development of the immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi infection in 45 Italian patients suffering from culture-confirmed Lyme borreliosis erythema migrans was investigated. A total of 95 serially collected serum samples were tested by using three different commercial ELISAs: recomWell Borrelia (Mikrogen), Enzygnost Borreliosis (DADE Behring) and Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia (Immunetics). The sensitivities of the ELISAs were as follows: Enzygnost Borreliosis IgM, 70.5 %; Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia, 62.1 %; recomWell Borrelia IgM, 55.7 %; recomWell Borrelia IgG, 57.9 %; and Enzygnost Borreliosis IgG, 36.8 %. In order to compare the specificity values of the three ELISAs, a panel of sera obtained from blood donors (210 samples coming from a non-endemic area and 24 samples from an endemic area) was tested, as well as sera from patients suffering from some of the most common biological conditions that could result in false-positive reactivity in Lyme disease serology (n = 40). RecomWell Borrelia IgG and recomWell Borrelia IgM were the most specific (97.1 % and 98.9 %, respectively), followed by Quick ELISA C6 Borrelia (96.7 %). Enzygnost Borreliosis IgG and IgM achieved 90.1 % and 92.3 % specificity, respectively. Sera that gave discrepant results when tested by the three ELISAs were further analysed by Western blotting.
Journal of Medical Microbiology 05/2005; 54(Pt 4):361-7. · 2.50 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Treponema denticola and Porphyromonas gingivalis have been identified in atheromatous plaques of two patients suffering from atherosclerosis by PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The use of the FISH technique suggested that these periodontopathic micro-organisms might be metabolically active within the wall of arteries, under the atherosclerotic lesion.
Journal of Medical Microbiology 02/2005; 54(Pt 1):93-6. · 2.50 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: This study investigated the onset and development of the immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi infection in 30 Italian patients with culture-confirmed Lyme Borreliosis in the stage of erythema migrans (EM). All patients received antimicrobial treatment when entering the study and were prospectively evaluated monthly for up to 30 days after enrolment. A total of 60 serially collected serum samples were tested by using two different commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs): Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE ELISA, Euroimmun, and the synthetic peptide-based ELISA, Quick ELISA C6, Immunetics. Sixty-five potentially cross-reacting sera were also tested. Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE ELISA IgG was far more sensitive than Quick ELISA C6 (56.6% and 33.3%, respectively). Moreover, considering that 17 additional sera from the first bleeding group of Lyme disease patients were IgM positive when tested by Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE IgM, the sensitivity of Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE as a whole system rose to 85.0%. Nevertheless, due to the specificity values of Anti-Borrelia plus VlsE ELISA identified in this study (98.5% for IgG and 78.5% for IgM), the need of a confirmatory test for the diagnosis of Lyme disease remains. All the sera were also tested by two different commercial Western Blot (WB) assays: Euroline-WB against Borrelia, Euroimmun, and Qualicode B. burgdorferi WB, Immunetics, in comparison with a multispecies "home made" WB. Performances of the three WB methods for the detection of IgM were very similar. On the contrary, these WBs performed with different values of sensitivity and specificity when IgGs were evaluated. The most sensitive method was the "home-made" WB IgG (71.7%), followed by the Euroline-WB IgG against Borrelia (68.3%). Qualicode B. burgdorferi WB IgG demonstrated to be only 26.6% sensitive. Both "home-made" WB IgG and Qualicode B. burgdorferi WB IgG were 100% specific, whereas Euroline-WB IgG against Borrelia scored 12 cross-reacting samples as borderline, showing a specificity value of 80.0%.
The new microbiologica: official journal of the Italian Society for Medical, Odontoiatric, and Clinical Microbiology (SIMMOC) 02/2005; 28(1):37-43. · 1.00 Impact Factor
-
Journal of Clinical Microbiology 11/2004; 42(10):4914; author reply 4914-5. · 4.15 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Stimulation of isolated rat Kupffer cells by viable Leptospira interrogans, Treponema pallidum and Borrelia garinii elicited cellular responses resulting in the release of different tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels, depending on the spirochetes. L. interrogans induced TNF-alpha levels higher than those achieved with B. garinii and T. pallidum (in this order), but lower than the levels achieved with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In contrast to L. interrogans, pretreatment of borreliae and treponemes with polymyxin B did not substantially diminish the ability of B. garinii and T. pallidum to stimulate Kupffer cells. Purified T. pallidum lipoproteins TpN47, TmpA, TpN15-TpN17, and B. garinii OspA induced TNF-alpha responses comparable to that achieved by LPS. This response was almost insensitive to the action of polymyxin B.
FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology 05/2004; 40(3):187-91. · 2.44 Impact Factor
