This review summarizes about In vitro susceptibility testing methods and In vitro interactions of B. burgdorferi sensu lato with antimicrobial agents and antibiotic medium preparations. The multisystem illness known as human Lyme borreliosis (LB) can advance in phases. Hard ticks of the Ixodes ricinus complex that have contracted the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. are the carriers of the causative agents. Today, LB is considered the most important human tick-borne illness in the Northern Hemisphere. The causative agent was identified and successfully isolated in 1982 and, shortly thereafter, antibiotic treatment was found to be safe and efficacious. Since then, various In vitro studies have been conducted in order to improve our knowledge of the activity of antimicrobial agents against B. burgdorferi s.l. The full spectrum of In vitro antibiotic susceptibility has still not been defined for some of the more recently developed compounds. Moreover, our current understanding of the In vitro interactions between B. burgdorferi s.l. and antimicrobial agents, and their possible mechanisms of resistance remains very limited and is largely based on In vitro susceptibility experiments on only a few isolates of Borrelia. The potential processes underlying the In vitro survival of spirochetes exposed to antimicrobial drugs in the presence of animal and human cell lines are much less understood. There have only been a modest number of cell culture experiments and laboratory research carried out. In addition to ongoing clinical trials on the optimum treatment regimen for LB, further basic research is urgently needed in order to better understand possible genetic or phenotypic mechanisms of persistence in Borrelia spp. This review summarizes what is and what is not known about the In vitro susceptibility of B. burgdorferi s.l. It aims to shed light on the known unknowns that continue to fuel current debates on possible treatment resistance and mechanisms of persistence of Lyme disease spirochetes in the presence of antimicrobial agents.
Author(s) Details:
Klaus-Peter Hunfeld
Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology & Infection Control, Northwest Medical Centre, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical Faculty, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Steinbacher Hohl 2-26, D-60488 Frankfurt am Main, Germany and INSTAND e.V., Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Qualitätssicherung in medizinischen Laboratorien e.V.,Ubierstraße 20, D-40223 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Peter Kraiczy
Institute for Medical Microbiology & Infection Control, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Paul-Ehrlich Str. 40, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Douglas E. Norris
W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Benedikt Lohr
Institute for Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology & Infection Control, Northwest Medical Centre, Academic Teaching Hospital, Medical Faculty, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Steinbacher Hohl 2-26, D-60488 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Also See : Microplastics Through Infant Foods : A Part from the Book Chapter : Microplastic Exposure to Infants
Recent Global Research Developments In Vitro Susceptibility and Resistance Mechanisms of Borrelia burgdorferi
Hitchhiker’s Guide to Borrelia burgdorferi:
The Journal of Bacteriology recently published a minireview titled “Hitchhiker’s Guide to Borrelia burgdorferi.” This work discusses the remarkable journey of B. burgdorferi as a model organism in microbiology.
Despite its unusual characteristics (multiple linear chromosomes, genome shrinkage, lack of traditional virulence factors), B. burgdorferi has become a valuable model for understanding other bacteria in similar niches.
Researchers have made significant progress in studying host-pathogen interactions, developing culture methods, animal models, and genetic tools to explore this enigmatic spirochete.
The review highlights critical lessons learned about B. burgdorferi biology during its lifecycle, including gene expression changes during tick blood meals, colonization of vertebrate hosts, and long-lasting infections [1]
In Vitro Antimicrobial Susceptibility of B. burgdorferi:
Recent studies have investigated the in vitro susceptibility of B. burgdorferi against selected antimicrobial agents.
Evidence suggests the development of acquired in vitro resistance against certain aminoglycosides, hygromycin A, and quinolones after prolonged exposure [2]
References
- Bourgeois JS, Hu LT. 0. Hitchhiker’s Guide to Borrelia burgdorferi. J Bacteriol 0:e00116-24.
https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00116-24 - Hunfeld K-P, Kraiczy P, Norris DE, Lohr B. The In Vitro Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato: Shedding Light on the Known Unknowns. Pathogens. 2023; 12(10):1204. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12101204
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