The Brilliance of Borrelia: Mechanisms of Host Immune Evasion by Lyme Disease-Causing Spirochetes
by Cassidy Anderson and Catherine A. Brissette *
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Ryan O. M. Rego
Pathogens 2021, 10(3), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10030281
Received: 25 January 2021 / Revised: 23 February 2021 / Accepted: 24 February 2021 / Published: 2 March 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Twists and Turns of Pathogenic Spirochetes: Novel Insights for Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment)
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Conclusions
B. burgdorferi utilizes several different methods to evade the host immune response. Borrelia disable the complement system through the regulation of outer surface proteins, the binding of complement regulators, and the use of tick salivary proteins. The innate immune response signaling through chemokines and alarmin molecules is disrupted through the use of tick salivary proteins, preventing the migration of immune cells to the site of infection, allowing B. burgdorferi to establish infection. Resistance to antimicrobial proteins and ROS-mediated killing, as well as the disabling of macrophages, prevents the removal of B. burgdorferi spirochetes from the host. Pleomorphism and intracellular localization may also play a role. Pathogens 2021, 10, 281 12 of 17 The adaptive immune response is disabled through the invasion of the lymph nodes by Borrelia, and the resulting collapse of the germinal center, the lack of memory cell production, and antibody class switching. B. burgdorferi also evades detection through the antigenic variation of the outer surface protein VlsE. Though research in recent decades has shed light on the mechanisms by which B. burgdorferi evades the immune response, there is still much to be learned. More research is needed to elucidate the exact mechanisms that B. burgdorferi uses to interact with and evade the different parts of the immune response. A better understanding of how B. burgdorferi subverts the host immune response is important to the development of novel treatments and preventative measures.
Abstract
Lyme disease (LD) has become the most common vector-borne illness in the northern hemisphere. The causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, is capable of establishing a persistent infection within the host. This is despite the activation of both the innate and adaptive immune responses. B. burgdorferi utilizes several immune evasion tactics ranging from the regulation of surface proteins, tick saliva, antimicrobial peptide resistance, and the disabling of the germinal center. This review aims to cover the various methods by which B. burgdorferi evades detection and destruction by the host immune response, examining both the innate and adaptive responses. By understanding the methods employed by B. burgdorferi to evade the host immune response, we gain a deeper knowledge of B. burgdorferi pathogenesis and Lyme disease, and gain insight into how to create novel, effective treatments.The Twists and Turns of Pathogenic Spirochetes: Novel Insights for Prevention, Diagnosis and TreatmentReview ReportsDownload PDFhttps://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10030281