Cytokines in Lyme Borreliosis: in vivo levels of TGF-b1, TNF-a and IL-6 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with neuroborreliosis or erythema migrans in relation to clinical outcome

Widhe, Mona (1, 2); Grusell, Mattias (1); Ekerfelt, Christina (1); Forsberg, Pia (2); Ernerudh, Jan (1)

(1) Division of Clinical Immunology and
(2) Division of Infectious Diseases, Dep of Health and Environment, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden

Email: mona.widhe@ihm.liu.se
 

Objectives

To evaluate the role of the cytokines TGF-b1, TNF-a, and IL-6  in the pathogenesis and clinical outcome of the spirochetal tick borne infection Lyme Borreliosis.
 

Methods

Serum and CSF collected during the disease course of patients with either non-chronic neuroborreliosis (n=9), chronic neuroborreliosis (n=16) or erythema migrans (n=8) and a control group (n= 10) were analysed with ELISA.
 

Results

Elevated serum levels of TGF-b1 was found both in patients with erythema migrans and neuroborreliosis, as compared to control individuals (p<0.05). Interestingly, in early samples, taken within 3 months after disease onset, patients with non-chronic neuroborreliosis had significantly higher levels of serum TGF-b1 than patients with chronic neuroborreliosis (p<0.001). Moreover, in these early samples there was a significant increase of TNF-alpha in the CSF of non-chronic patients, as compared to the chronic patients (p<0.05). IL-6 levels in both serum and CSF were low in all the patient groups, compared to the control group.
 

Conclusions

These findings suggests that TNF-a might be of importance for early elimination of the infecting Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete, and that TGF-b1 may limit the damage to the host, and thereby prevents long lasting injuries.

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Widhe M et al.: Cytokines in Lyme Borreliosis: in vivo levels of TGF-b1, TNF-a and IL-6 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid from patients with neuroborreliosis or erythema migrans in relation to clinical outcome