Habicht G S, Katona L I, Benach J L
Department of Pathology, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794-8691.
J Infect Dis. 1991 Sep;164(3):568-74. doi: 10.1093/infdis/164.3.568.
Lyme disease is a multisystemic disease caused by a tickborne spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi. Neuroborreliosis is characterized by intrathecal production of antibodies specific for the spirochete. This suggests that spirochetal infection of the central nervous system produces conditions that support the maturation of B lymphocytes to immunoglobulin-secreting cells. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) stimulates B cell differentiation into antibody-secreting cells. The present study was undertaken to determine whether B. burgdorferi can stimulate cells of central nervous system origin to secrete IL-6. C6 rat glioma cells cultured with spirochetes induced secretion of IL-6 activity. Peak stimulation was achieved at 24 h with 25 spirochetes per glioma cell. Glioma cells were also stimulated to produce IL-6 by interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor. That very few spirochetes are found in Lyme disease patients suggests that biologic amplification factors derived from the organism or the host, or both, are responsible for the pathogenesis of this disease. IL-6 can now be added to the growing list of such factors.
莱姆病是一种由蜱传播的螺旋体——伯氏疏螺旋体引起的多系统疾病。神经莱姆病的特征是鞘内产生针对该螺旋体的特异性抗体。这表明中枢神经系统的螺旋体感染产生了支持B淋巴细胞成熟为免疫球蛋白分泌细胞的条件。白细胞介素6（IL-6）刺激B细胞分化为抗体分泌细胞。本研究旨在确定伯氏疏螺旋体是否能刺激中枢神经系统来源的细胞分泌IL-6。用螺旋体培养的C6大鼠胶质瘤细胞诱导了IL-6活性的分泌。每个胶质瘤细胞与25个螺旋体一起培养24小时时达到最大刺激。白细胞介素1和肿瘤坏死因子也能刺激胶质瘤细胞产生IL-6。在莱姆病患者中发现的螺旋体极少，这表明源自病原体或宿主或两者的生物放大因子是该疾病发病机制的原因。现在IL-6可以被添加到这类因子的不断增加的列表中。
