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Published on: August 31, 2013
CCL17 Influences Borrelia burgdorferi Infection in the Heart
Xiaotian Tang1,2, Qian Yu2, Yingjun Cui2
1Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Biology and Ecological Regulation of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Ministry of Agriculture Key Lab of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insect Pests, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
None:
Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans by Ixodes ticks. CCL17 is a potent chemokine that plays important roles in diverse illnesses, including autoimmune and infectious diseases. CCL17 knockout mice, infected with B. burgdorferi, had a reduced pathogen load in the heart compared to control animals. Mice lacking CCL17 also showed signs of immune alteration upon B. burgdorferi infection, including diverse serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines and less monocytes and macrophages infiltration. CCL17 also interacts directly with B. burgdorferi, the first demonstration that this chemokine has an affinity for a vector-borne pathogen.
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