Homogeneous Inflammatory Gene Profiles Induced in Human Dermal Fibroblasts in Response to the Three Main Species of < i > Borrelia  burgdorferi < /i > sensu lato

In this study, using whole transcriptome microarray chips, we aimed to compare the transcriptional response of normal human dermal fibroblasts stimulated by 3Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato strains belonging to 3 main pathogenic species (B.afzelii,B.garinii andB.burgdorferi sensu stricto) in order to determine whether “species-related” inflammatory pathways could be identified. The threeBorrelia strains tested exhibited similar transcriptional profiles, and no species-specific fingerprint of transcriptional changes in fibroblasts was observed. Conversely, a common core of chemokines/cytokines (CCL2, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL6, CXCL10, IL-6, IL-8) and interferon-related genes was stimulated by all the 3 strains. Dermal fibroblasts appear to play a key role in the cutaneous infection withBorrelia, inducing a homogeneous inflammatory response, whicheverBorrelia species was involved.
Source: PLoS One - Category: Biomedical Science Authors: Source Type: research