Host Immune Mechanisms in Recurrent Lyme Erythema Infection with Focus on the Cytokines Interleukin-4, Interferon-gamma and Interleukin-10

You, Elin (1); Jarefors, Sara (1); Bennet, Louise (2);Forsberg, Pia (3); Ernerudh, Jan (1); Berglund, Johan (4)

(1) Dept Molecular and Clinical Medicine,Univ Linkoping, Sweden
(2) Lyckeby Primary Health Care Centre, Karlskrona, Sweden
(3) Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine
(4) Department of Community Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden

Lyme disease is a tick-borne infection caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu. One early manifestation of the disease is the development of a specific rash called erythema migrans (EM). To clear the infection the immune defence has to recognize the spirochete or the antigens and initiate a response. The cells in the immune system communicate through cytokines. Interferon-gamma (IFN-g) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) are two cytokines who produce different types of immune responses. IFN-g directs the immune system towards a cell-mediated response and IL-4 towards a humoral response. IL-10 is another cytokine, which is capable of down regulating both types of responses.

In this study the number of IFN-g, IL-4 and IL-10 secreting cells has been studied by use of enzyme-linked immuno spot assay (ELISPOT). In a previous study including around 1000 individuals with EM, a number of individuals who had been re-infected with EM several times during a five-year period were found. The individuals who had been re-infected consisted mainly of women over 44 years old. In this study 24 individuals (21 women and 3 men) who had developed several EM during a five-year period were compared with an age and tick exposure matched group consisting of 40 individuals (20 women and 20 men) who had developed a single EM during the same period. When the individuals were grouped according to the number of EM, no significant difference in cytokine secreting cells was found, however, when the individuals were grouped according to gender the results showed that women had a greater spontaneous secretion of IFN-g, IL-4 and IL-10, a lower net secretion of IL-10 and a lower net secretion of IFN-g when stimulated by phytohemagglutinin.

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