LymeNet Newsletter Volume 7 Issue 09

Volume: 7
Issue: 09
Date: 24-Sep-99

Table of Contents:

I. LYMENET: Bachmann Bash '99 to Assist LymeNet Fundraising Efforts II. MED MICROBIOL IMMUNOL: Osp17, a novel immunodominant outer surface protein of Borrelia afzelii: recombinant expression in Escherichia coli and its use as a diagnostic antigen for serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. III. BIOL PSYCHIATRY: Borrelia burgdorferi central nervous system infection presenting as an organic schizophrenialike disorder IV. ABOUT THE LYMENET NEWSLETTER

Newsletter:

*********************************************************************** * The National Lyme Disease Network * * http://www.LymeNet.org/ * * LymeNet Newsletter * ***********************************************************************

Volume 7 / Number 09 / 24-SEP-1999 INDEX

I. LYMENET: Bachmann Bash '99 to Assist LymeNet Fundraising Efforts II. MED MICROBIOL IMMUNOL: Osp17, a novel immunodominant outer surface protein of Borrelia afzelii: recombinant expression in Escherichia coli and its use as a diagnostic antigen for serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. III. BIOL PSYCHIATRY: Borrelia burgdorferi central nervous system infection presenting as an organic schizophrenialike disorder IV. ABOUT THE LYMENET NEWSLETTER

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I. LYMENET: Bachmann Bash '99 to Assist LymeNet Fundraising Efforts ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Sender: Marc Gabriel <[email protected]> Date: September 21, 1999 The Fourth Annual Bachmann Bash for the Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey will take place on Saturday, October 2, 1999, at St. Michael's Church Hall in Paterson, NJ. The Millennium Party will begin at 6:45 p.m. The non-profit Lyme Disease Network (LymeNet), which brings you this newsletter every month, obtains its operating budget from individual donations. Each fall, LymeNet embarks on a fundraising drive to secure funds for the following calendar year. LymeNet's series of Internet services provides information to thousands of web visitors each day. Ironically, LymeNet is becoming increasingly important as a new generation of consumer health web sites proliferate on the Internet. Many of them contain outdated information on Lyme disease, often ignoring the last decade of research. Others use figures out of
context, clearly demonstrating the lack of commitment to the topic. Since 1994, LymeNet has been dedicated to ensuring the information presented is as up-to-date as possible. "The Lyme Disease Network helps people who are in desperate need," says Angela Bachmann, who organizes the annual Bachmann Bash Fundraiser. In 1996, Angela and her husband Lou searched desperately for answers as their daughter Lori became increasingly incapacitated by an illness no local physician could diagnose. After finding LymeNet, they finally had the missing pieces of information they needed to set Lori on her path to recovery.

"The Bachmann Bash Fundraiser for the Lyme Disease Network is held each year and includes all our family and friends," Angela notes. "If we don't bring in adequate donations, the LDN will perhaps no longer be available to us. "

For those who can't attend, individual donations are also accepted. For more information on the fundraiser and donations, please visit:

http://www2.LymeNet.org/domino/news.nsf/UID/bash99

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II. MED MICROBIOL IMMUNOL: Osp17, a novel immunodominant outer surface protein of Borrelia afzelii: recombinant expression in Escherichia coli and its use as a diagnostic antigen for serodiagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. ------------------------------------------------------------------ AUTHORS: Jauris-Heipke S, Rossle B, Wanner G, Habermann C, Rossler D Fingerle V, Lehnert G, Lobentanzer R, Pradel I, Hillenbrand B Schulte-Spechtel U, Wilske B ORGANIZATION: Max von Pettenkofer-Institut fur Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Germany. REFERENCE: Med Microbiol Immunol (Berl) 1999 May;187(4):213-9 ABSTRACT:

Western blot analyses of the human humoral response of patients with Lyme borreliosis have shown that a 17-kDa protein is an immunodominant protein in late disease. Immune electron microscopy with a monoclonal antibody against this protein revealed that the 17-kDa protein is abundantly expressed on the surface of Borrelia afzelii strain PKo. Therefore, the protein has been renamed outer surface protein (Osp) 17. Recombinant Osp 17 of strain PKo was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by chromatography. Immunoblot analysis of human sera showed a comparable sensitivity with recombinant and natural proteins. The DNA sequences of the osp17 genes from different B. afzelii strains were determined. The DNA sequences of the different osp 17 homologues (six isolates from skin, three isolates from CSF and one isolate from synovial fluid) had high sequence identities of at least 94%. Using a polyclonal antibody against recombinant Osp 17, it was shown that Osp 17 expression varied considerably among the investigated B.
afzelii strains. As previously also observed for OspA- and OspC-encoding genes, the osp 17 gene is present in strains not expressing the respective protein. It has been shown that OspA and OspC expression varies in different environments such as tick and vertebrate host. Studies are underway to examine whether this is also true for Osp 17. For diagnostic purposes the use of recombinant Osp 17 has the advantage that the amount of Osp 17 antigen can be easily standardized for immunoblotting, and that this antigen can be used in a protein-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

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III. BIOL PSYCHIATRY: Borrelia burgdorferi central nervous system infection presenting as an organic schizophrenialike disorder ------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTHORS: Hess A, Buchmann J, Zettl UK, Henschel S, Schlaefke D, Grau G Benecke R ORGANIZATION: Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Germany. REFERENCE: Biol Psychiatry 1999 Mar 15;45(6):795 REFERENCE:

BACKGROUND: We report on a 42-year-old female patient who presented with a schizophreniform disorder and complete relief of symptoms after specific therapy. METHODS: Cerebrospinal fluid and magnetic resonance imaging findings led to the diagnosis of Lyme disease. RESULTS: To our knowledge this is the first reported case with an exclusive psychiatric manifestation of Lyme disease. CONCLUSIONS: In case of first manifestation of psychotic disorder, although neurological symptoms are lacking, Lyme disease should be considered and be excluded by cerebrospinal fluid analysis

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IV. ABOUT THE LYMENET NEWSLETTER ----------------------------------------------------------------------- For the most current information on LymeNet subscriptions, contributions, and other sources of information on Lyme disease, please refer to: http://newsletter.lymenet.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the LymeNet newsletter, send a message to: [email protected] On the first line of the message, write: unsub lymenet-l ----------------------------------------------------------------------- LymeNet - The Internet Lyme Disease Information Source ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Editor-in-Chief: Marc C. Gabriel <[email protected]> FAX (for contributions ONLY): 908-789-0028 Contributing Editors: Carl Brenner <[email protected]> John Setel O'Donnell <[email protected]> Frank Demarest <[email protected]>
Advisors: Carol-Jane Stolow, Director <[email protected]> William S. Stolow, President <[email protected]> The Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey ----------------------------------------------------------------------- WHEN COMMENTS ARE PRESENTED WITH AN ATTRIBUTION, THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE OPINIONS/ANALYSES OF THE EDITORS. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THIS NEWSLETTER MAY BE REPRODUCED AND/OR POSTED ON BULLETIN BOARDS FREELY AS LONG AS IT IS NOT MODIFIED OR ABRIDGED IN ANY WAY. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SEND ALL BUG REPORTS TO [email protected] -----------------------------------------------------------------------