Borrelia burgdorferi Outer Surface Protein C Is Not the Sole Determinant of Dissemination in Mammals.

ABSTRACT: Lyme disease in the United States is most often caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. After a tick bite, the patient may develop erythema migrans at that site. If hematogenous dissemination occurs, the patient may then develop neurologic manifestations, carditis, or arthritis. Host-pathogen interactions include factors that contribute to hematogenous dissemination to other body sites. Outer surface protein C (OspC), a surface-exposed lipoprotein of B. burgdorferi, is essential during the early stages of mammalian infection. There is a high degree of genetic variation at the ospC locus, and certain ospC types are more frequently associated with hematogenous dissemination in patients, suggesting that OspC may be a major contributing factor to the clinical outcome of B.

SUBMITTER: Mukherjee PG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10112133 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature