Anti-arthropod saliva antibodies among residents of a community at high risk for Lyme disease in California.

Abstract

Abstract. The role of the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) versus that of other potential arthropod vectors in the epidemiology of Lyme disease was evaluated by determining the prevalence of anti-arthropod saliva antibodies (AASA) among residents (n ϭ 104) of a community at high-risk (CHR). Salivary gland extracts prepared from I. pacificus, the Pacific Coast tick (Dermacentor occidentalis), the western cone-nose bug (Triatoma protracta), and the western tree-hole mosquito (Aedes sierrensis) were used as antigens in an ELISA. Sera from 50 residents of the San Francisco Bay region in northern California and 51 residents of Imperial County in southern California served as comparison groups. The prevalence of AASA ranged from 2% for A. sierrensis to 79% for I. pacificus in study subjects, 0% for D. occidentalis to 36% for I. pacificus among residents of the San Francisco Bay region, and 6% for I. pacificus to 24% for A. sierrensis in residents of Imperial County. The associations between AASA and demographic factors, potential risk factors, probable Lyme disease, and seropositivity for Borrelia burgdorferi were assessed for 85 members of the CHR. Seropositivity for I. pacificus and B. burgdorferi were significantly correlated, the relative risk of seropositivity to B. burgdorferi was about 5 (31% versus 6%) for subjects who were seroreactive to I. pacificus, nearly every individual who was seropositive for B. burgdorferi had elevated levels of antibodies to I. pacificus, and the mean titer for antibodies to I. pacificus was significantly higher for subjects seropositive versus those seronegative for B. burgdorferi. Together, these findings support the widely held belief that I. pacificus is the primary vector of B. burgdorferi for humans in northern California, and they demonstrate the utility of the AASA method as an epidemiologic tool for studying emerging tick-borne infections.Anti-tick saliva antibody has been used as a biologic marker of tick exposure that is a risk factor for seropositivity to the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.

Human IgG Antibody Response to Aedes Nterm-34kDa Salivary Peptide, an Epidemiological Tool to Assess Vector Control in Chikungunya and Dengue Transmission Area

“…Previous studies have shown that bioactive molecules in arthropod saliva, injected in human skin during the vector bites, could induce host immune reactions [5–7]. Recent studies have demonstrated the usefulness of anti-saliva Ab response for measuring exposure of humans to arthropods bites, such as, ticks [8] sand fly [9,10], Glossina [11] and mosquitoes [12–19]. Additionally, human Ab IgG response to whole saliva was identified as pertinent tool for evaluating efficacy of vector control against Anopheles [20,21], Phlebotomus [22] and Aedes albopictus [23].…”

Human Antibody Response to Anopheles gambiae Saliva: An Immuno-Epidemiological Biomarker to Evaluate the Efficacy of Insecticide-Treated Nets in Malaria Vector Control

“…16 At the time of biting, the female mosquito injects saliva containing bioactive molecules, including vasodilators and anticoagulants, that make the blood meal possible. 17,18 Human Ab responses to the saliva of Triatoma , vectors of Chagas disease, 19 Ixodes ticks, vectors of Borrelia bugdorferi , 20 This work addresses a potentially important application of this "saliva" biomarker as an immunological tool to evaluate the efficacy of ITN-based strategies. Human immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to whole An.…”

The transcriptome of the salivary glands of the female western black-legged tick Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae)

“…11. Finally, defining the most abundant antigens or those that may effectively help ticks to feed or transmit Borrelia could be an effective approach to develop a protective vaccine directed toward tick salivary molecules (Lane et al, 1999). , 1907-1996.…”