AbstractInfection with Borrelia spirochaetes leads to the launch of specific and non‐specific immunological response in humans. Activation of the complement system is one of the first defence mechanisms against penetrating pathogens. The aim of this study was to select genes related to the alternative pathway of the complement system [including complement factor H (CFH)], differentiating the type of infection in the system model, that is, a culture of normal human diploid fibroblasts infected with three different spirochaete genospecies: Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia burgdorferii sensu stricto, by comparing the infected fibroblast culture with the control fibroblast one. With the use of oligonucleotide microarrays HGU‐133A, the differences in the expression of genes selected on the basis of a scientific database Affymetrix were studied by comparing transcriptomes from the four cultures of fibroblasts. In the result of infection of fibroblast cultivation with a specific Borrelia genospecies, a variable expression of certain CFH and complement system‐associated genes, specific for one genospecies only, B. afzelii– C1QBP, CD59, C2, CD46 and FHL1; B. garinii – C1S and CLU; Borrelia burgeforii– CFB, A2M and VSIG4, was observed. CFH differentiates infections induced by B. afzelii and B. garinii from infections induced by B. burgdorferii sensu stricto.
