Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsschwerpunkte (Research):

The scientific efforts of our work are devoted to the evaluation and improvement of diagnostic tests for infectious diseases with a special emphasis on the microbiological diagnosis of fastidious bacteria and parasites.

An important part of our scientific research is focused on the epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of vector-borne infectious agents such as Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia spp. - organisms that are difficult to culture by use of conventional microbiological techniques.

Moreover, new molecular detection methods for a more rapid detection of pathogens in patients with sepsis and other severe infectious diseases are in the centre of our interest.

In addition to the development and evaluation of such new test methods and molecular biological assay systems, aspects of external quality control and diagnostic test standardization are of outstanding importance throughout our scientific projects.

Established projects at out institution include the organization and analysis of proficiency testing programs in bacteriologic infection serology in medical laboratories and are funded by the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM) and the Society for Promotion of Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories e. V. (INSTAND e.V., Düsseldorf, Germany).

Another project called GILEAD (German Investigation on Lyme Borreliosis: Evaluation of Therapeutic And Diagnostic Cost) funded by INSTAND e.V., Düsseldorf, is an analytical start up focused on a better characterization of the burden of disease and the medical costs of Lyme borreliosis diagnostics in Germany.

In a further approach called “Borreliosis Care” funded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Bonn (FKZ: 01GY1137), we actually perform an in depth analysis of sickness fund data provided by German health insurance providers to learn more about the actual economic conditions and the epidemiological background (incidence, prevalence, diagnostics, treatment, medical cost etc.) of health care utilization related to Lyme borreliosis in Germany. The project is run in close cooperation with the Institute for General Practice, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Initial results are to be published soon in an open access journal.

Recent publications & Reviews:

2004-2005 | 2006-2007 | 2008-2009 | 2010-2011 | 2012

2004-2005

Hunfeld K.-P., Wichelhaus T.A., Rodel R., Acker G., Brade V., Kraiczy P. (2004) Comparison of in vitro activities of ketolides, macrolides, and an azalide against the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 48: 344-347.

Hunfeld K.-P., Bittner T., Rödel R., Brade V., Cinatl J. (2004) New real-time PCR based method for in vitro susceptibility testing of Anaplasma phagocytophilum against antimicrobial agents. Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents 23: 563-571.

Hunfeld K.-P., Brade V. (2004) Zoonotic Babesia: Possibly emerging pathogens to be considered for tick-infested humans in central Europe. Intern. J. Med. Microbiol. 293, Suppl. 37, 93-103.

Süss J., Fingerle V., Hunfeld K.-P., Schrader Ch., Wilske B. (2004) Durch Zecken übertragene humanpathogene und bisher als apathogen geltende Mikroorganismen in Europa. II: Bakterien, Parasiten und Mischinfektionen. Bundesgesundheitsblatt : 47: 470-486.

Hunfeld, K.-P., Ruzic-Sabljic, E., Douglas, E.N., Kraiczy, P., Strle, F. (2005) In vitro susceptibility testing of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato isolates cultured from patients with erythema migrans before and after antimicrobial chemotherapy. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 49:1294-301.

2006-2007 (top)

Muller, I., Brade, V., Hagedorn, H.J., Straube, E., Schoerner, C., Frosch, M., Hlobil, H., Stanek, G., Hunfeld, K.-P. (2006) Is serological testing a reliable tool in laboratory diagnosis of syphilis? Meta-analysis of eight external quality control surveys performed by the German infection serology proficiency testing program. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44:1335-1341.

Hunfeld, K.-P., Ruzic-Sabljic, E., Douglas, E.N., Kraiczy, P., Strle, F. (2006) Risk of culture confirmed treatment resistance in erythema migrans patients and possible mechanisms of borrelial persistence. Intern. J. Med. Microbiol. 296 S1:233-241.

Hunfeld, K.-P., Brade, V. (2006) Antimicrobial susceptibility of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato: What we know, what we don´t know, and what we need to know. Wien. Klin. Wochschr. 118: 659-668.

Häselbarth, K., Tenter, A.M., Brade, V., Krieger, G., Hunfeld, K.-P. (2007) First case of human babesiosis in Germany - Clinical presentation and molecular characterisation of the pathogen. Int. J. Med. Microbiol. 297:197-204.

Rödel R., Freyer, A., Bittner T., Schäfer V., Hunfeld K.-P. (2007) In vitro activities of faropenem, imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem against the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents. 30(1):83-6.

Hildebrandt, A., Hunfeld K.-P., Baier, M., Krumbholz, A., Sachse, S., Lorenzen, T., Kiehntopf, M., Fricke, H.J., Straube, E. (2007) First confirmed autochthonous case of human Babesia microti infection in Europe. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 26:595-601.

2008-2009 (top)

Lehmann, L.E. & Hunfeld, K.-P., Emrich, T., Haberhausen, G., Moczko, M., Zielenski, R., Wissing, H., Hoeft, A., Stüber, F. (2008) A multiplex real-time PCR assay for rapid detection and differentiation of 25 bacterial and fungal pathogens from whole blood samples. Med. Microbiol. Immunol., 197:313-2.

Hildebrandt, A., Tenter, A.M., Straube, E., Hunfeld, K.-P. (2007) Human Babesiosis in Germany: Just overlooked or truly new? Int. J. Med. Microbiol., 298, S1: 336-346.

Hunfeld, K.-P., Bingold, T., Brade, V., Wissing, H. (2008) Molecular biological detection of pathogens in patients with sepsis. Potentials, limitations, and perspectives. Anaesthesist., 57:326-37.

Sadik, C.D., Hunfeld, K.-P., Bachmann, M., Kraiczy, P., Eberhardt, W., Brade, V., Pfeilschifter, J., Mühl, H. (2008) Systematic analysis highlights the key role of TLR2/NF-kappaB/MAP kinase signaling for IL-8 induction by macrophage-like THP-1 cells under influence of Borrelia burgdorferi lysates. Int. J. Biochem. Cell. Biol. 40: 2508-21.

Hunfeld K.-P., Burg S, Hanssen-Hübner C, Karas M, Brade V, Kraiczy P. (2008) Changes in the expression pattern of structural proteins after exposure of B. burgdorferi to penicillin G and doxycycline. Int. J. Med. Microbiol., DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.12.001, published online

Hunfeld, K.-P., Hildebrandt, A, Gray, J. (2008) Babesiosis: Recent insights into an ancient disease. Int. J. Parasitol., 38: 1219-37.

Poggensee, G. Fingerle, V. Hunfeld, KP et al., (2008). Lyme-Borreliose: Forschungsbedarf und Forschungsansätze. Ergebnisse eines interdisziplinären Expertentreffens am Robert Koch-Institut. Bundesgesundheitsblatt, 51: 1329-1339.

Morgenstern, K., Baljer, G., Norris, D.E., Kraiczy, P., Hanssen-Hübner, C., Hunfeld, K.-P. (2009) In vitro susceptibility of Borrelia spielmanii to antimicrobial agents commonly used for treatment of Lyme disease. Antimicrob. Agents. Chemother. 53:1281-4.

Kell, C.A., Hunfeld, K.P., Wagner, S., Nern, C., Seifert, V., Brodt, H.R., Steinmetz, H. (2008) Chronic meningoencephalomyelitis due to Mycobacterium fortuitum in an immunocompetent patient. J. Neurol. 255: 1847-9.

Hunfeld, K.P., Kraiczy, P. (2009) When is the best time to order a Western blot and how should it be interpreted? Curr. Probl. Dermatol. 37:167-77.

Ulrich, R.G., Heckel, G., Pelz, H.J., Hunfeld, K.P. et al.. (2009) Nagetiere und Nagetierassoziierte Krankheitserreger. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 52: 352-69. Review.

Lehmann, L.E., Alvarez, J., Hunfeld, K.P., Goglio, A., Kost, G.J., Louie, R.F., Raglio, A., Regueiro, B.J., Wissing, H., Stüber, F. (2009) Potential clinical utility of polymerase chain reaction in microbiological testing for sepsis. Crit. Care. Med. 37:3085-90.

Müller, I., Besier, S., Hintereder, G., Brade, V., Hunfeld, K.-P. (2009) Zur Qualität der bakteriologischen Infektionsserologie in Deutschland: eine Metaanalyse der infektionsserologischen Ringversuche des Jahres 2006 – Beitrag der Qualitätssicherungskommission der DGHM. GMS Z Forder Qualitatssich Med Lab; 1: Doc04 (20091020), (online).

2010-2011 (top)

Lehmann, L.E., Hunfeld, K.P., Steinbrucker, M., Brade, V., Book, M., Seifert, H., Bingold, T., Hoeft, A., Wissing, H., Stüber, F. (2010) Improved detection of blood stream pathogens by real-time PCR in severe sepsis. Intensive Care Med. 36: 49-56.

Brissette CA, Rossmann E, Bowman A, Cooley AE, Riley SP, Hunfeld KP, Bechtel M, Kraiczy P, Stevenson B. (2010) The borrelial fibronectin-binding protein RevA is an early antigen of human Lyme disease. Clin. Vaccine Immunol. 17:274-80.

Gray, J., Zintl, A., Hildebrandt, A., Hunfeld, K.-P., Weiss, L. (2010) Zoonotic babesiosis: Overview of the disease and novel aspects of pathogen identity. Ticks and Tick-borne Dis. 1: 3-10, (online).

Ates, A., Hanssen-Hübner, C., Norris, D.E., Richter, D., Kraiczy, P., Hunfeld, K.-P. (2010) Comparison of in vitro activities of tigecycline, doxycycline, and tetracycline against the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Ticks and Tick-borne Dis. 1: 30-34, (online).

Wittek M., Hintereder, G., Allwinn, R., HW Doerr und Hunfeld, KP. (2010) Die Infektionsdiagnostik der Myo- und Perikarditis. Teil I: mikrobiologische Erreger. J. Lab. Med. (34): 243-251, (online, online (english)).

Wittek M., Hintereder, G., Allwinn, R., Hunfeld, KP und HW Doerr. (2010) Die Infektionsdiagnostik der Myo- und Perikarditis. Teil II: virologische Erreger. J. Lab. Med. (34): 253-256, (online).

Bachmann, M., Horn, K., Rudloff, I., Goren, I., Holdener, M., Christen, U., Darsow, N., Hunfeld, KP, Koehl, U., Kind, P., Pfeilschifter, J., Kraiczy, P., Mühl, H., (2010) Early Production of IL-22 but Not IL-17 by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Exposed to live Borrelia burgdorferi: The Role of Monocytes and Interleukin-1. PLoS Pathogens, 6: e1001144, www.plospathogens.org, (online).

Coste, O., Müller, I., Brade, V., Hunfeld, K.-P. (2010) Ergebnisse des bakteriologisch-infektionsserologischen INSTAND Ringversuchs 2007: Ein zusammenfassender Bericht – Beitrag der Qualitätssicherungskommission der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (DGHM). GMS Z Forder Qualitatssich Med Lab; 2: Doc01 (20100913), (online).

Böttcher, M, Straube, E., Hunfeld, KP, Arndt, KH,  Maaß, M. (2010) EXTENDED CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE SEROLOGY WITH A MIF-CALIBRATED THRESHOLD VALUE. In: Chlamydia Infections, Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium of Human Chlamydia Infections, ISBN 0-9664383-3-7, (online).

Stanek G, Fingerle V, Hunfeld KP, Jaulhac B, Kaiser R, Krause A, Kristoferitsch W, O'Connell S, Ornstein K, Strle F, Gray J. (2011) Lyme borreliosis: Clinical case definitions for diagnosis and management in Europe. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 17(1):69-79, (online).

Hunfeld KP & Hagedorn J. Syphilis Serology. In: Zenilman JM, Shahmanesh M (editors) Sexually transmitted infections- a guide for clinicians. Jones and Bartlett, Boston 2011, (online).

Pfeifer, Y., Wilharm, G., Zander, E., Wichelhaus, T.A., Göttig, S., Hunfeld, K.P., Seifert, H., Witte, W., Higgins, P.G. (2011) Molecular characterization of blaNDM-1 in an Acinetobacter baumannii strain isolated in Germany in 2007. J Antimicrob Chemother. 66:1998-2001.

Walch D,  Müller I, Coste O and Hunfeld KP. (2011) Ergebnisse der bakteriologisch-infektionsserologischen INSTAND-Ringversuche 2008: Ein zusammenfassender Bericht – Beitrag der Qualitätssicherungskommission der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (DGHM). GMS Zeitschr. Förd. Qualitätssich. Med. Lab., Vol. 3, ISSN 1869-4241, (online).

2012

Müller, I, Freitag, M., Poggensee, G., Scharnetzky, E., Straube, E., Schoerner, Ch., Hlobil, H., Hagedorn, H.-J., Stanek, G., Schubert-Unkmeir, A., Norris, D., Gensichen, J., and Hunfeld, K.-P. (2012) Evaluating frequency, diagnostic quality and cost of Lyme borreliosis testing in Germany: A retrospective model analysis. Clin. Develop. Immunol., Volume 2012, Article ID 595427, 13 pages doi:10.1155/2012/595427, (online).

Hagedorn, H.J, Hunfeld, KP, Münstermann, D, Potthof, A, Schöfer, D. (2012) Syphilis. MiQ 16. Mikrobiologisch-infektiologische Qualitätsstandards (MIQ). Hrsg. Podbielski A., Kniehl, E., Mauch H. und Rüssmann H. Urban und Fischer, München, in press.

Brade V, Hunfeld K-P. (2012) Borrelien. In: Hahn, Kaufmann, Schulz, Suerbaum, Eds. Medizinische Mikrobiologie und Infektiologie. 7., kompl. überarb. Auflage, New York, Basel, Wien: Springer Verlag, in press.