Cultivation of Borrelia burgdorferisensu lato from Patients in the Czech Republic

Overview

Spirochete of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato were isolated in a modified BSK medium from 26patients of 275 investigated suffering from early and late borreliosis. The isolates were specified byphenotype and genotype analysis using monoclonal antibodies, by immunochemical methods andby including species specific 16S rRNA, OspA and OspC primers and probes in a polymerase chainreaction with hybridization.Borrelia afzelii was found in 9 patients, Borrelia garinii in 16 and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto in oneinstance. B. afzelii was isolated from 5 biopsies with erythema migrans. 2 with acrodermatitischronica atrophicans and from blood of 2 patients with arthritis.B. garinii cultures were prepared from 6 cerebrospinal fluids, 3 blood samples, 1 placenta, 1 liverbiopsy and 5 skin samples. Unique was B. burgdorferi detected in a bioptic sample of the heartmuscle which was positive on immunohistochemical examination. Monoclonal antibodies againstOspA and genotype analysis provided evidence that Borrelia garinii isolates from cerebrospinalfluid are close to serotype IV. One CSF isolate was resistant to antibiotics; the tropism of B. gariniito nervous tissue is contemplated.

Key words:
cultivation – Borrelia burgdorferi