Complications of pregnancy and transplacental transmission of relapsing-fever borreliosis

• Relapsing-fever borreliosis caused by Borrelia duttonii is a common cause of complications of pregnancy, miscarriage, and neonatal death in sub-Saharan Africa. We established a murine model of gestational relapsing fever infection for the study of the pathological development of these complications. We demonstrate that B. duttonii infection during pregnancy results in intrauterine growth retardation, as well as placental damage and inflammation, impaired fetal circulation, and decreased maternal hemoglobin levels. We show that spirochetes frequently cross the maternal-fetal barrier, resulting in congenital infection. Furthermore, we compared the severity of infection in pregnant and nonpregnant mice and show that pregnancy has a protective effect. This model closely parallels the consequences of human gestational infection, and our results provide insight into the mechanisms behind the complications of pregnancy that have been reported in human relapsing-fever infection.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Microbiology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Infektionsmedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Infectious Medicine (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Animals

Bacteremia

Borrelia

Disease Models; Animal

Disease Transmission; Vertical

Female

Fetal Diseases/*microbiology/pathology

Fetal Growth Retardation

Fetal Weight

Hemoglobins/analysis

Histocytochemistry

Mice

Mice; Inbred C3H

Placenta/*microbiology/pathology

Placental Circulation

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Complications; Infectious/microbiology/pathology

Relapsing Fever/microbiology/pathology/*transmission

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)