Co-inoculation of Borrelia afzelii with tick salivary gland extract influences distribution of immunocompetent cells in the skin and lymph nodes of mice

• Published in: Folia microbiologica 2005, Vol.50 (5), p.457-463
• Main Authors: Severinova, J, Salat, J, Krocova, Z, Reznickova, J, Demova, H, Horka, H, Kopeck, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Borrelia afzelii; Borrelia burgdorferi Group - growth & development; Female; Ixodes ricinus; Ixodidae; Lyme Disease - immunology; Lyme Disease - pathology; Lyme Disease - transmission; Lymph Nodes - immunology; Lymph Nodes - pathology; Lymphocyte Count; Lymphocyte Subsets; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Salivary Glands - immunology; Skin - immunology; Skin - pathology; Ticks - immunology; Tissue Extracts - immunology
• ISSN: 0015-5632
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02931430

The impact of Ixodes ricinus salivary gland extract (SGE) on inflammatory changes in the skin and draining lymph nodes of mice, elicited by the infection with the important human pathogen, B. afzelii, was determined using flow cytometry. SGE injected together with spirochetes reduced the numbers of leukocytes and gammadelta-T lymphocytes in infected epidermis at early time-points post infection. In draining lymph nodes, the anti-inflammatory effect of SGE was manifested by the decrease of total cell count compared with that in mice treated with inactivated SGE. Changes in subpopulations of immunocompetent cells apparently reflected the effect of SGE on the proliferation of spirochetes in the host. The significance of tick saliva anti-inflammatory effect for saliva activated transmission of B. afzelii is shown.