Original Article

Journal of Investigative Dermatology (1997) 108, 92–97; doi:10.1111/1523-1747.ep12285646

Molecular Subtyping of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato Isolates from Five Patients with Solitary Lymphocytoma

Roger N Picken1, Franc Strle2, Eva Ruzic-Sabljic3, Vera Maraspin2, Stanka Lotric-Furlan2, Joze Cimperman2, Yu Cheng1 and Maria M Picken4

  1. 1Section of Infectious Disease, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
  2. 2Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  3. 3Institute of Microbiology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  4. 4Department of Pathology, Loyola University Medical Center, and Hines Veterans Administration Hospital, Maywood, Illinois, U.S.A.

Received 22 May 1996; Revised 2 August 1996; Accepted 28 August 1996.

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Abstract

Solitary lymphocytoma is a rare cutaneous manifestation of Lyme borreliosis that has been reported almost exclusively from Europe. This suggests that its etiologic agent may be absent or extremely rare on the North American continent. All three species of B. burgdorferi sensu lato known to be associated with human Lyme borreliosis (B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii and B. afzelii) have been isolated in Europe, whereas only B. burgdorferi sensu stricto has been found in North America. This suggests that either B. garinii or B. afzelii might be the etiologic agent of borrelial lymphocytoma. To investigate this hypothesis we characterized five strains of B. burgdorferi sensu lato isolated from lymphocytoma lesions of patients residing in Slovenia. The methods used included: large restriction fragment pattern analysis of restriction enzyme MlnI-digested genomic DNA, plasmid profiling, protein profiling, ribotyping using 5S, 16S and 23S rDNA probes and polymerase chain reaction amplification of the rrf (5S)-rrl (23S) inter-genic spacer region. Molecular subtyping showed that four of the five isolates belonged to the species B. afzelii; however, this species is the predominant patient isolate in Slovenia and therefore, may not represent a preferential association with lymphocytoma. The fifth isolate appeared to be most closely related to the DN127 genomic group of organisms. Further characterization of the isolate revealed that it possessed a unique molecular "fingerprint." The results not only show that borrelial lymphocytoma can be caused by B. afzelii but also demonstrate an association with another genomic group of B. burgdoiferi sensu lato that is present in North America as well.

Keywords:

ribotyping, Borrelia afzelii, DN127-group, LRFP-analysis

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References

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