Genome-wide DNA Methylation Profiling in Lyme Neuroborreliosis Reveals Altered Methylation Patterns of HLA Genes

J Infect Dis. 2024 Apr 12;229(4):1209-1214. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiad451.

Abstract

Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a complex neuroinflammatory disorder caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted through tick bites. Epigenetic alterations, specifically DNA methylation (DNAm), could play a role in the host immune response during infection. In this study, we present the first genome-wide analysis of DNAm in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with LNB and those without LNB. Using a network-based approach, we highlighted HLA genes at the core of these DNAm changes, which were found to be enriched in immune-related pathways. These findings shed light on the role of epigenetic modifications in the LNB pathogenesis that should be confirmed and further expanded upon in future studies.

Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; DNA methylation; HLA; Illumina Infinium methylation EPIC 850K; Lyme neuroborreliosis.

MeSH terms

  • Borrelia burgdorferi* / genetics
  • DNA Methylation
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear
  • Lyme Neuroborreliosis* / genetics