Borrelia burgdorferi induces matrix metalloproteinases by neural cultures

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are associated with chronic neurologic dis eases such as multiple sclerosis and senile dementia. Lyme disease is a mul tisystemic infection involving the nervous system, skin, joints, and heart. Neurologic manifestations of chronic Lyme disease include encephalopathy a nd cranial and peripheral neuropathy. Borrelia burgdorferi, the spirochaete causing Lyme disease, has been cultured from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) , and B, burgdorferi DNA is frequently detected in the CSF of patients with Lyme neuroborreliosis. We used cerebral and cerebellar primary cultures to determine whether B. burgdorferi induces the production of MMPs by primary neural cultures, B, burgdorferi in a dose- and time-dependent manner induc ed the expression of MMP-9 by primary neural cultures but had no effect on the expression of MMP-2. Human and rat type I astrocytes expressed MMP-9 wh en incubated with B. burgdorferi in the same manner as primary neural cultu res. This response may play a role in the symptomatology and the pathogenes is of Lyme neuroborreliosis, J. Neurosci, Res. 58:779-790, 1999. (C) 1999 W iley-Liss, Inc.