VARIANT RESPONSES OF MICE TO BORRELIA-BURGDORFERI DEPENDING ON THE SITE OF INTRADERMAL INOCULATION

C3H/He mice inoculated intradermally at one of two sites with Borrelia burgdorferi responded differently to infection. Shoulder-inoculated m ice developed spirochetemia, B. burgdorfefi-specific antibody, and art hritis earlier than foot-inoculated mice. Lymphocyte populations deriv ed from spleen tissue were elevated in the shoulder- but not the foot- inoculated mice, and those from lymph nodes were increased in both gro ups. Lymphocytes derived from blood and spleen tissue showed impaired proliferative responses to all mitogens for shoulder-inoculated mice o nly, whereas proliferation of lymph node cells was not affected, regar dless of route. These results demonstrate that the site of initial B. burgdorferi inoculation is an important determinant in the pathogenesi s of B. burgdorferi infection.