Evidence for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi in invasive breast cancer tissues

Borrelia burgdorferi , the causative agent of Lyme disease, has recently been demonstrated to infect and enhance the invasive properties of breast cancer cells, while also in fl uencing the expression of in fl ammatory chemokines (CXCL8 and CXCL10). This study investigates the presence of B. burgdorferi in invasive breast cancer tissues using commercially available, FDA-approved breast cancer tissue microarrays consisting of 350 ductal, 32 lobular, and 22 intraductal invasive breast carcinomas, alongside 29 normal breast tissues. Employing fl uorescent immunohistochemical staining and highresolution imaging, the fi ndings revealed that approximately 20% of invasive lobular and ductal carcinomas, followed by 14% of intraductal carcinomas, tested positive for B. burgdorferi , while all normal breast tissues tested negative. PCR analysis further con fi rmed the presence of B. burgdorferi DNA in breast cancer tissues. Moreover, 25% of B. burgdorferi -positive tissues exhibited expression of both chemokines, CXCL8 and CXCL10, which was not observed in B. burgdorferi -negative tissues. Analysis of available patient data, including age, indicated a correlation between older patients and B. burgdorferi - positive tissues. This study validates the presence of B. burgdorferi in invasive breast cancer tissues and highlights the involvement of key CXCL family members associated with in fl ammatory processes.