LONG-TERM STUDY OF CELL-MEDIATED RESPONSES TO BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI INTHE LABORATORY MOUSE

Borrelia burgdorferi infection of disease-susceptible (C3H) and -resis tant (BALB) mice resulted in impaired proliferation to both T- and B-c ell mitogens up to 30 days after inoculation. Interleukin-2 and -4 pro duction was also impaired, paralleling the T-cell response to concanav alin A. Impaired lymphocyte proliferation could not be attributed to d iminished numbers of T or B cells and was found to depend on the lymph oid organ (spleen or lymph node) examined. Prostaglandin production ac counted for part of this immune dysfunction. Attempts to assess antige n-specific proliferation to B. burgdorferi were inconsistent, and dela yed-type hypersensitivity responses were not detected. Adoptive transf er of T-enriched cells from chronically infected donors failed to prev ent infection and disease development in recipient C3H mice. The curre nt study emphasizes caution in the study of B. burgdorferi antigen-spe cific assays and argues against the role of a vigorous T-cell response in Lyme borreliosis in infected laboratory mice.