Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> Infection of the Nervous System
Lyme borreliosis is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in the United States, infecting ~476,000 people annually. <i>Borrelia</i> spp. spirochetal bacteria are the causative agents of Lyme disease in humans and are transmitted by <i>Ixodes</i> spp ticks. Clinical manifestat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/6/789 |
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| author | Lenzie Ford Danielle M. Tufts |
| author_facet | Lenzie Ford Danielle M. Tufts |
| author_sort | Lenzie Ford |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lyme borreliosis is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in the United States, infecting ~476,000 people annually. <i>Borrelia</i> spp. spirochetal bacteria are the causative agents of Lyme disease in humans and are transmitted by <i>Ixodes</i> spp ticks. Clinical manifestations vary depending on which <i>Borrelia</i> genospecies infects the patient and may be a consequence of distinct organotropism between species. In the US, <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto is the most commonly reported genospecies and infection can manifest as mild to severe symptoms. Different genotypes of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto may be responsible for causing varying degrees of clinical manifestations. While the majority of Lyme borreliae-infected patients fully recover with antibiotic treatment, approximately 15% of infected individuals experience long-term neurological and psychological symptoms that are unresponsive to antibiotics. Currently, long-term antibiotic treatment remains the only FDA-approved option for those suffering from these chronic effects. Here, we discuss the current knowledge pertaining to <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto infection in the central nervous system (CNS), termed Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), within North America and specifically the United States. We explore the molecular mechanisms of spirochete entry into the brain and the role <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto genotypes play in CNS infectivity. Understanding infectivity can provide therapeutic targets for LNB treatment and offer public health understanding of the <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto genotypes that cause long-lasting symptoms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:24:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3251bcd9e3c040f09fe831d06f275b13 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:24:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-3251bcd9e3c040f09fe831d06f275b132023-11-22T00:08:23ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252021-06-0111678910.3390/brainsci11060789Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> Infection of the Nervous SystemLenzie Ford0Danielle M. Tufts1Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USAInfectious Diseases and Microbiology Department, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USALyme borreliosis is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in the United States, infecting ~476,000 people annually. <i>Borrelia</i> spp. spirochetal bacteria are the causative agents of Lyme disease in humans and are transmitted by <i>Ixodes</i> spp ticks. Clinical manifestations vary depending on which <i>Borrelia</i> genospecies infects the patient and may be a consequence of distinct organotropism between species. In the US, <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto is the most commonly reported genospecies and infection can manifest as mild to severe symptoms. Different genotypes of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto may be responsible for causing varying degrees of clinical manifestations. While the majority of Lyme borreliae-infected patients fully recover with antibiotic treatment, approximately 15% of infected individuals experience long-term neurological and psychological symptoms that are unresponsive to antibiotics. Currently, long-term antibiotic treatment remains the only FDA-approved option for those suffering from these chronic effects. Here, we discuss the current knowledge pertaining to <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto infection in the central nervous system (CNS), termed Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB), within North America and specifically the United States. We explore the molecular mechanisms of spirochete entry into the brain and the role <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto genotypes play in CNS infectivity. Understanding infectivity can provide therapeutic targets for LNB treatment and offer public health understanding of the <i>B. burgdorferi</i> sensu stricto genotypes that cause long-lasting symptoms.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/6/789Lyme disease<i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>infectious diseasetick-borne pathogenpost-treatment Lyme disease syndromeneurotropism |
| spellingShingle | Lenzie Ford Danielle M. Tufts Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> Infection of the Nervous System Brain Sciences Lyme disease <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> infectious disease tick-borne pathogen post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome neurotropism |
| title | Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> Infection of the Nervous System |
| title_full | Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> Infection of the Nervous System |
| title_fullStr | Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> Infection of the Nervous System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> Infection of the Nervous System |
| title_short | Lyme Neuroborreliosis: Mechanisms of <i>B. burgdorferi</i> Infection of the Nervous System |
| title_sort | lyme neuroborreliosis mechanisms of i b burgdorferi i infection of the nervous system |
| topic | Lyme disease <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i> infectious disease tick-borne pathogen post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome neurotropism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/11/6/789 |
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