A monoclonal antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi flagellin modifies neuroblastoma cell neuritogenesis in vitro: a possible role for autoimmunity in the neuropathy of Lyme disease.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
In vitro bench laboratory study using cultured neural cell lines.
PubMed 9125553 · doi:10.1128/iai.65.5.1722-1728.1997
What was done
Researchers tested the effect of monoclonal antibody H9724 (which targets Borrelia burgdorferi flagellin and cross-reacts with human peripheral nerve axon heat shock protein 60) on cultured SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells and other neural tumor cell lines. They assessed spontaneous and peptide growth factor-stimulated in vitro neuritogenesis, cell viability, attachment to culture plates or extracellular matrix, nerve growth factor binding, and response to cyclic AMP, phorbol ester, or retinoic acid.
What was found
The abstract does not report numerical values or statistics. Monoclonal antibody H9724 suppressed spontaneous and peptide growth factor-stimulated in vitro neuritogenesis in SK-N-SH and other neural tumor cell lines. It did not alter cellular changes induced by cyclic AMP, phorbol ester, or retinoic acid. H9724 did not decrease cell viability, did not alter cell attachment to culture plates or extracellular matrix, and did not block nerve growth factor binding.
Why it matters
The findings support molecular mimicry as a potential mechanism for Lyme disease neuropathy, suggesting antibodies directed against Borrelia burgdorferi flagellin may cross-react with axonal proteins and impair neuronal function independent of active local infection.
Limits
This is an in vitro bench study on transformed neural tumor cell lines, not primary human neurons or in vivo models. The abstract provides no quantitative data, sample sizes, replicate counts, or statistical test results. Applicability to clinical Lyme neuropathy in humans remains speculative.
Cited by
- partial Lyme infection induces molecular mimicry via flagella, causing autoantibodies against dopamine receptors, thyroid tissue, cardiolipin, and myelin.