From Local to Systemic: The Journey of Tick Bite Biomarkers in Australian Patients

Wenna Lee; Amanda D. Barbosa; Amy Huey-Yi Lee; Andrew Currie; David Martino; John Stenos; Michelle Long; Miles Beaman; Nathan T. Harvey; Nina Kresoje; Patrycja Skut; Peter J. Irwin; Prasad Kumarasinghe; Roy A. Hall; Rym Ben-Othman; Stephen Graves; Tobias R. Kollmann; Charlotte L. Oskam

doi:10.3390/ijms26041520

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From Local to Systemic: The Journey of Tick Bite Biomarkers in Australian Patients

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

From Local to Systemic: The Journey of Tick Bite Biomarkers in Australian Patients

Wenna Lee, Amanda D. Barbosa, Amy Huey-Yi Lee, Andrew Currie, David Martino, John Stenos, Michelle Long, Miles Beaman, Nathan T. Harvey, Nina Kresoje, …

International journal of molecular sciences, Vol.26(4), 1520

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26041520

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Abstract

emerging diseases

MULTI-OMICS

systems biology

tick-borne diseases

Tick bites and tick-related diseases are on the rise. Diagnostic tests that identify well-characterised tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) possess limited capacity to address the causation of symptoms associated with poorly characterised tick-related illnesses, such as debilitating symptom complexes attributed to ticks (DSCATT) in Australia. Identification of local signals in tick-bitten skin that can be detected systemically in blood would have both clinical (diagnostic or prognostic) and research (mechanistic insight) utility, as a blood sample is more readily obtainable than tissue biopsies. We hypothesised that blood samples may reveal signals which reflect relevant local (tissue) events and that the time course of these signals may align with local pathophysiology. As a first step towards testing this hypothesis, we compared molecular signatures in skin biopsies taken from the tick-bite location of human participants, as published in our previous study, together with peripheral blood signatures obtained concurrently. This approach captures differentially expressed molecules across multiple omics datasets derived from peripheral blood (including cellular and cell-free transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and DNA methylation), and skin biopsies (spatial transcriptomics). Our original data revealed that extracellular matrix organisation and platelet degranulation pathways were upregulated in the skin within 72 h of a tick bite. The same signals appeared in blood, where they then remained elevated for three months, displaying longitudinally consistent alterations of biological functions. Despite the limited sample size, these data represent proof-of-concept that molecular events in the skin following a tick bite can be detectable systemically. This underscores the potential value of blood samples, akin to a liquid biopsy, to capture biomarkers reflecting local tissue processes.

Details

Title: From Local to Systemic: The Journey of Tick Bite Biomarkers in Australian Patients
Authors/Creators: Wenna Lee
Amanda D. Barbosa - Murdoch University, Centre for Biosecurity and One Health
Amy Huey-Yi Lee
Andrew Currie - Murdoch University
David Martino - The University of Western Australia
John Stenos - Barwon Health
Michelle Long - Barwon Health
Miles Beaman - The University of Western Australia
Nathan T. Harvey - The University of Western Australia
Nina Kresoje - The University of Western Australia
Patrycja Skut
Peter J. Irwin - Murdoch University
Prasad Kumarasinghe - The University of Western Australia
Roy A. Hall - The University of Queensland
Rym Ben-Othman
Stephen Graves - Barwon Health
Tobias R. Kollmann - Dalhousie University
Charlotte L. Oskam - Murdoch University
Publication Details: International journal of molecular sciences, Vol.26(4), 1520
Publisher: MDPI
Number of pages: 24
Grant note: Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) ScholarshipNHMRC: GNT1169949
This paper is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship to W.L. and funding support from NHMRC GNT1169949 to P.J.I., S.G., C.L.O. & M.B.
Identifiers: 991005742492707891
Murdoch Affiliation: College of Environmental and Life Sciences; Harry Butler Institute; Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics; Centre for Biosecurity and One Health; School of Veterinary Medicine; School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 1 Clinical & Life Sciences; 1.199 Lung Cancer; 1.199.1633 Circulating Tumor Biomarkers
Web Of Science research areas: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
ESI research areas: Chemistry