LYME DISEASE: STUDY OF THE ETIOLOGICAL AGENT

莱姆病及相关疾病是一种节肢动物传播的疾病 由螺旋体伯氏疏螺旋体引起 述疾病是 欧洲、亚洲、非洲、 澳大利亚和北美。 硬蜱，硬蜱 东北部地区是螺旋体的主要传播媒介， 在美国中西部，大多数情况下， 莱姆病发生。 莱姆病病例数 确诊病例增多，I.达米尼似乎 扩大。 莱姆病的流行病学很复杂 目前的控制措施是不够的。 实验室 这种疾病的诊断受到缓慢的宿主免疫的阻碍， 从病人身上分离出螺旋体是一种 低产量程序。 伯氏疏螺旋体由一个未知 机制可以逃避宿主的免疫应答， 持续存在于组织中，导致慢性关节炎和进行性关节炎 神经系统疾病 莱姆病的慢性形式可能是 对目前推荐的抗菌剂无反应 疗法 这项建议的具体目标是：（1）遗传学研究 莱姆病疏螺旋体;（2）莱姆病疫苗的研制 疾病;（3）抗B抗体的杀螺旋体试验。burgdorferi; (4)检测B。体液中的伯氏抗原 宿主;（5）抗生素敏感性研究;（6）监测 达氏硬蜱和B. burgdorferi在郊区 高密度鹿种群的住宅区和（7） 改善隔离和生长的培养条件， 石灰病螺旋体。 从这些研究中获得的信息应导致诊断 莱姆病的检测 这将使它成为可行的， 诊断出比目前可能的更多的病例，导致 更好的病人护理和避免晚期感染后遗症。 宿主寄生虫和抗生素研究应该增加我们的 了解螺旋体在宿主体内的持久性， 提供信息，以确定最有效的 疾病的治疗。 改进和确定现有的培养基 也将有助于从宿主组织中分离疏螺旋体 因为这允许用于抗原制备的更高的细胞产率。 对B. burgdorferi将提供重要的 分类方案的基础，并将用作 流行病学工具。

Lyme disease and related disorders is an arthropod-borne disease caused by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is widespread with cases reported from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and North America. The hard tick, Ixodes dammini is the major vector of the spirochete in northeastern and midwestern United States where the majority of the cases of Lyme disease occur. The number of cases of Lyme disease diagnosed is increasing and the distribution of I. dammini appears to be enlarging. The epidemiology of Lyme disease is complex and present control measures are inadequate. Laboratory diagnosis of this disease is hampered by a slow host immune response and isolation of the spirochete from patients has been a low yield procedure. Borrelia burgdorferi by an unknown mechanism(s) can evade the immune response of the host and persist in tissues resulting in chronic arthritis and progressive neurological disease. The chronic forms of Lyme disease may be unresponsive to the presently recommended antimicrobial therapy. The specific aims of this proposal are: (1) genetic studies of Borrelia burgdorferi; (2) development of a vaccine for Lyme disease; (3) spirocheticidal assay for antibodies to B. burgdorferi; (4) detection of B. burgdorferi antigens in the body fluids of the host; (5) antibiotic susceptibility studies; (6) monitoring the establishment of Ixodes dammini and B. burgdorferi in a suburban residential area with a high density deer population and (7) improvement of cultural conditions for isolation and growth of the Lime disease spirochetes. The information gained in these studies should result in diagnostic tests for Lyme borreliosis. This would make it feasible to diagnose many more cases than is currently possible, resulting in better patient care and avoidance of late infection sequelae. The host parasite and antibiotic studies should increase our understanding of the persistence of the spirochete in the host and provide information for determining the most efficacious treatment of the disease. Improving and defining the presently available culture medium will facilitate isolation of the borreliae from host tissues as well as allowing higher cell yields for antigen preparations. The DNA studies of B. burgdorferi will provide an important foundation for a classification scheme and will be used as an epidemiological tool.