[The role of complement factor H in the pathogenesis of Borrelia infection]

Complement factor H (CFH) is one of the most important negative regulators of the alternative pathway of the complement system. It is a glycoprotein belonging to the protein H family, which is synthesized mainly in the liver and is composed into a globular protein consisting of 60 amino acid domains in the serum. It shows specificity for C3b molecule of the complement system present in the serum or bound to the cell surface. It inhibits the steady formation of C3 convertase enzymes and the binding of C2 to C4b and factor B to C3b. It accelerates the decomposition of C2a into C4b and the displacement of Bb from C3b. The present paper discusses the composition, properties and functions of the complement factor and the family it belongs to. The paper focuses in particular on its role in the pathogenesis of an infection caused by the spirochetes of the Borrelia genus. Through binding CFH and other related proteins, bacteria of the Borrelia species inhibit the key effect of the alternative pathway of the complement system - the lysis of spirochete cells dependent on the complement's activation. The mechanism enables pathogens to spread in the host organism and facilitates the evolution of the disease. Discovering the immune mechanisms of the infection caused by the spirochetes of the Borrelia genus may allow for implementing a therapy blocking the binding of complement factor H early enough, apart from the standard treatment of the disease.