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Infection and Immunity, June 2005, p. 3440-3444, Vol. 73, No. 6
0019-9567/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.73.6.3440-3444.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Coinfection with Anaplasma phagocytophilum Alters Borrelia burgdorferi Population Distribution in C3H/HeN Mice

Kevin Holden,1 Emir Hodzic,1 Sunlian Feng,1 Kimberly J. Freet,1 Rance B. Lefebvre,2 and Stephen W. Barthold1*

Center for Comparative Medicine, Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616,1 Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 956162

Received 17 December 2004/ Accepted 14 January 2005

Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the agent of human anaplasmosis, are both transmitted by Ixodes sp. ticks and may occasionally coinfect a host. The population distributions of tick-transmitted B. burgdorferi infection were assessed using quantitative PCR targeting the flaB gene of B. burgdorferi in the ear, heart base, quadriceps muscle, skin, and tibiotarsal joint tissue of C3H mice previously infected with A. phagocytophilum. Population distributions of Anaplasma infection were assessed by targeting the p44 gene. A. phagocytophilum in blood and serologic response to both agents were evaluated. Spirochete numbers were increased in the ears, heart base, and skin of coinfected mice, but Anaplasma numbers remained constant. Antibody response to A. phagocytophilum, but not B. burgdorferi, was decreased in coinfected mice. These results suggest that coinfection with A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi modulates pathogen burden and host antibody responses. This may be explained by the ability of A. phagocytophilum to functionally impair neutrophils, important cells in the early defense against B. burgdorferi infection.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California at Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616. Phone: (530) 752-1245. Fax: (530) 752-7914. E-mail: swbarthold{at}ucdavis.edu.

Editor: J. T. Barbieri

Infection and Immunity, June 2005, p. 3440-3444, Vol. 73, No. 6
0019-9567/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/IAI.73.6.3440-3444.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Grab, D. J., Nyarko, E., Barat, N. C., Nikolskaia, O. V., Dumler, J. S. (2007). Anaplasma phagocytophilum-Borrelia burgdorferi Coinfection Enhances Chemokine, Cytokine, and Matrix Metalloprotease Expression by Human Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cells. CVI 14: 1420-1424 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Swanson, S. J., Neitzel, D., Reed, K. D., Belongia, E. A. (2006). Coinfections Acquired from Ixodes Ticks. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 19: 708-727 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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