Table 1.
Salp15-antiserum enhances the protective capacity of OspA antibody in a model of tick-transmitted B. burgdorferi infection.
| Immunogen | Challenge (no. of borrelia infected nymphs) | No. of tissue specimens with flaB PCR-positive/no. of total mice analyzed | flab copy (normalized by mouse β-actin) (Mean±S.E.M.)a | No. of Arthritis-positive/no. of total mice analyzed | Arthritis Index (Mean±S.E.M.)b | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| skin | heart | joint | skin | heart | joint | ||||
| Normal rabbit serum | 10 | 19/20 | 20/20 | 20/20 | 79.5± 14.9 | 1123± 142.5 | 961.2 ± 146.9 | 10/10 | 2.0 ± 1.0 |
| Low dose of OspA Ab + Salp15 Ab | 10 | 4/20 | 5/20 | 5/20 | 3.6± 1.7** | 41.4± 17.3 ** | 64.9± 33.0** | 2/10 | 0.5 ± 0.5 ** |
| Low dose of OspA Ab | 10 | 15/20 | 17/20 | 18/20 | 47.1± 10.0 | 690.0± 133.8 | 586.1 ± 147.3 | 9/10 | 1.75± 1.0 |
| High dose of OspA Ab | 10 | 0/20 | 1/20 | 1/20 | 0.0± 0.0 ** | 1.0± 1.0 ** | 1.1± 1.1** | 1/10 | 0.25± 0.25** |
| Salp15 Ab | 10 | 11/20 | 11/20 | 11/20 | 27.3± 7.1 * | 332.5± 93.7* | 290.4 ± 80.4* | 6/10 | 1.0± 1.0* |
a
Results are means + s.e.m. from three quantitative PCR experiments.
*
p < 0.05 and
**
p < 0.01, when compare with normal rabbit serum control group.
b
The knee and tibiotarsal joints were scored for arthritis severity on a scale of 0 (negative) to 3 (severe) in a blinded fashion.
*
p < 0.05 and
**
p < 0.01, when compare with normal rabbit serum control group.