Posted by ShawnThomas on February 11, 2008, at 10:28:53
In reply to affinity of long proteins, antibodies at receptors, posted by iforgotmypassword on February 10, 2008, at 13:07:40
I found a report of an antigen on Borrelia burgdorferi causing myasthenia gravis by blocking the action of acetylcholine at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (http://pubmed.gov/17366045). I do not believe that that this is common result of Borrelia burgdorferi infection.
A greater concern is a surface protein on Borrelia burgdorferi that can activate Toll-Like Receptor 2 (TLR2). See
http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/full/163/5/2382According to Hirschfeld et al. (1999), "Lyme disease is caused by infection with the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (1). A subacute inflammatory arthritis develops in 60% of individuals not treated at the time of the tick bite (2), and is associated with invasion of the joint tissue by spirochetes (3, 4). B. burgdorferi possess surface-associated proteins with the tripalmitoyl-S-glyceryl-cysteine (Pam3Cys)3 modification common to many bacterial species (5), and numerous inflammatory activities have been ascribed to the Pam3Cys modification (6, 7, 8, 9).
...
Our results demonstrate that TLR2 is required for bacterial lipoprotein signaling in two different TLR2-negative cell lines, U373 and 293, and that signaling requires the lipid modification."Also, you can search http://www.pubmed.gov for "Toll-Like Receptor 2"[Mesh] AND brain
This receptor is definitely involved in inflammation in the brain and elsewhere.
Shawn
poster:ShawnThomas
thread:811845
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/neuro/20080204/msgs/812017.html