Borrelia burgdorferi-Infektionen: Diagnose, Schutz, Pathogenese. Charakterisierung von neuen immunogen Borrelia burgdorferi Proteinen zur Verbesserung von Antigenpraeparationen fuer Vakzinierung und Diagnostik Abschlussbericht

The aim of the project was (a) the analysis of specificity and function of Borrelia specific T-cells, (b) the comparative analysis of effectiveness of DNA-versus protein vaccination and (c) the identification of novel Borrelia antigens which are suitable for therapeutic vaccination. We have found, that vaccination of mice with OspA-DNA or with a lipoprotein, Lip-OspA, similarly leads to the induction of T-helper cells with specificity for a major epitope of OspA as well as to an amplification of protective antibody response in vivo. The additional finding that Borrelia and in particular lipoproteins thereof, have co-stimulatory activity for human T-cells suggest that T-cells, independent of their specificity, are involved in infection-associated inflammatory processes. Furthermore, it was shown for the first time that immunization of mice with plasmid DNA with specificity for OspA provides full protection against infection. This simple was of immunization with DNA is promising regarding the development of alternative vaccines against bacterial infections. The protocols of vaccination against Lyme disease on the basis of OspA established so far are only prophylacticly effective, because spirochetes express OspA only in the vector (tick) but not in the mammalian host. In contrast, Borrelia expresses other lipoproteins, including OspC, in the mammalian host. In the mouse model of Lyme borreliosis we could now show that passive transfer of anti-OspC antibodies leads to the resolution of disease and eradication of spirochetes. These findings are of utmost relevance for the further development of immuno-therapies against Lyme borreliosis. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: DtF QN1(77,6) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Bonn (Germany)DEGerman