High Cholesterol & Tick-borne Diseases

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High Cholesterol & Tick-borne Diseases

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Individuals with high cholesterol levels are more likely to get infected

by disease spread by ticks. A recent study published in the Journal of

Infectious Diseases, indicates that the likelihood of developing Human

Granulocytic Anaplasmosis (HGA) is higher in people with high cholesterol

levels.

The study was conducted by Yasuko Rikihisa and her team on two groups of

mice. Rikihisa is the lead author of the study and a professor of veterinary

biosciences at Ohio State University.

The research involved infecting mice with a bacterium Anaplasma

phagocytophilum. This bacterium is responsible for causing HGA with symptoms

similar

to the flu. The level of bacteria was 10 times higher in mice with an

inherited tendency for high cholesterol levels. It was also high in mice

supplied with a cholesterol-rich diet.

The findings revealed that the bacterium thrives on cholesterol stores of

its host. This implies that persons with higher cholesterol levels are more

likely to develop HGA.

Unfortunately, due to its flu-like presentation, it is very difficult to

correctly diagnose HGA. Symptoms include high fever, chills, muscle aches,

and headaches. An incorrect diagnosis can often lead to a fatal situation in

patients suffering from the disease.

Rikihisa says that young people do not seem to develop any severe symptoms

of the disease. However, if the disease goes undiagnosed in elderly

people, it could prove fatal to a person with an impaired immune system. This

takes place when the immune system weakens gradually and the blood cholesterol

levels rises as we grow old.

Incidence of HGA is rising rapidly in the United States. The study

estimates that 400 to 1,000 people get infected with the disease every year.

Besides causing HGA, ticks also spread Lyme disease, which is carried by Deer

ticks. The disease is common in the upper Midwest, parts of the mid-Atlantic

States, New England, and northern California. Lyme disease attacks

granulocytes, type of immune cells.

The study investigated two groups of mice. The first group of mice had a

deficiency of protein called apoliprotein E. This protein plays an important

role in maintaining normal blood cholesterol levels. Mice in the second

group had normal levels of apoliprotein E present in their bodies.

The scientists fed one group of mice with a cholesterol-rich diet for a

period of one-month. The other group was given a diet with a normal level of

cholesterol. Scientists then infected some of the mice from each group with

A. phagocytophilum. Blood samples of each infected mouse were collected

after 10 days of infection. The researchers also harvested the spleen and

liver of each infected mouse. They found that the level of infection varied

with the amount of bacteria obtained in each tissue. The researchers expected

to find higher levels of bacteria in the liver and spleen, because both

organs filter blood, with liver also manufacturing and storing cholesterol.

The research indicated that level of A. phagocytophilum was 10 times

higher in mice with a genetic tendency for higher blood cholesterol levels. It

was also high in mice who were given cholesterol-rich diet as compared to

the other group, which had normal-cholesterol diet, but were genetically

prone to develop higher cholesterol levels.

The tests revealed that level of bacteria was highest in the blood and the

spleen of mice, and was fairly low in the liver of all mice. The study

further showed that cholesterol levels increased 4 times in mice with

high-cholesterol diet and also in mice predisposed to high cholesterol. But, the

cholesterol levels were found normal in the mice with cholesterol

predisposition but having diet with normal cholesterol levels.

Scientists say that some individuals undergo mutations in the apoE gene,

which controls the production of apoE. This leads to an imbalance of blood

cholesterol levels. In humans, the mutation is likely to increase blood

cholesterol levels if a person has a high intake of cholesterol-rich diet.

“A high-cholesterol diet really boosted infection levels in the mice

without apoE. The findings suggest that humans may be more susceptible to HGA

if

they eat a high-cholesterol diet and if they are otherwise prone to high

blood cholesterol levels,†Rikihisa said.

The research performed by other scientists indicates a direct relationship

between older age and an increase in A. phagocytophilum infection.

According to one such study, the average age of infected patients was 51 years,

while it was 39 years for those infected with Lyme disease.

Rikihisa said that individuals who suspect they have been bitten by a tick

must seek immediate professional health care and possibly receive a quick

antibiotic therapy. In addition, the infected person should aim at lowering

the cholesterol levels by following a healthy diet along with an effective

medication. This will help minimize the risk of developing HGA and also

reduce the severity of the disease. The research was sponsored by the

National Institutes of Health.

Source: Ohio State University