[Human anti-infectious defence may be enhanced by vitamin D].

Findings about the significance of vitamin D for intrinsic immune defense may explain the effects of sunlight on immunity. Beyond the skin and the mucus layer of mucosae, antimicrobial peptides constitute the first-line defence, acting very rapidly. Their synthesis is dependent on vitamin D.

Outer surface protein E antibody response and its effect on complement factor H binding to OspE in Lyme borreliosis.

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and B. afzelii, but not B. garinii, are able to escape complement attack by binding factor H via OspE proteins.

Expression of complement factor H binding immunoevasion proteins in Borrelia garinii isolated from patients with neuroborreliosis.

The Lyme disease-pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi binds the complement inhibitor factor H (FH) to its outer surface protein E- (OspE) and BbA68-families of lipoproteins. In earlier studies, only serum-resistant strains of the genospecies B. burgdorferi sensu stricto or B.

Complement regulator-acquiring surface protein 1 imparts resistance to human serum in Borrelia burgdorferi.

Factor H and factor H-like protein 1 (FH/FHL-1) are soluble serum proteins that negatively regulate the alternative pathway of complement. It is now well recognized that many pathogenic bacteria, including Borrelia burgdorferi, bind FH/FHL-1 on their cell surface to evade complement-mediated destruction during infection. Recently, it was suggested that B.

Lysine-dependent multipoint binding of the Borrelia burgdorferi virulence factor outer surface protein E to the C terminus of factor H.

Serum resistance, an important virulence determinant of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato strains belonging to the Borrelia afzelii and B. burgdorferi sensu stricto genotypes, is related to binding of the complement inhibitor factor H to the spirochete surface protein outer surface protein E (OspE) and its homologues. In this study, we show that the C-terminal short consensus repeats 18-20 of both human and mouse factor H bind to OspE.

Complement inhibitor factor H binding to Lyme disease spirochetes is mediated by inducible expression of multiple plasmid-encoded outer surface protein E paralogs.

Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes can circumvent the vertebrate host's immune system for long periods of time. B. burgdorferi sensu stricto and B.