Enhanced intrathecal neopterin production and tryptophan degradation in patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis

english

1996

volume 5, issue 3-4

Združenje slovenskih dermatovenerologov

Various immune system compartmetns respond to Borrelia burgdorferi infection. TH2-type and TH1-type immune responses seem to be important. It recently was found that survace proteins of Borrelia burgdorfery induce the formation of interferon-y in vitro. Upon stimulation with interferon-y, monocytes/macrophages release large amounts of neopterin and degradation of tryptophan is induced in a variety of cells. In humans increased neopterin concentrations and tryptophan degradation in body fluids indirectly indicate the endogenous formation of interferon-y and TH1-type immune response. Using serum and cerebrospinal fluid from patiens with lyme neuroborreliosis and with late lyme encephalopathy, we investigated neopterin concentrations by radioimmunoassay and tryptophan and kynurenine by HPLC. Increased neopterin and kynurenine concentrations were found in cerebrospinal fluid but not in the serum of patients with lyme neuroborreliosis, whereas tryptophan was decreased in cerebrospinal fluid. Abnormalities were related to the activity to the disease, during antibiotic treatment concentrations of neopterin and kynurenine tended to normalize. In patients with late lyme encephalopathy the deviations of the analytes'concentrations from normal were only marginal compared to patiens with acute lyme neruoborreliosis. Increased formation of neopterin and degradation of tryptophan suggest a pathogenetic role of intrathecally released interferon-y and activated monocytic cells patients with lyme neuroborreliosis.

16.09.2022