Robert Lochhead, PhD

Assistant Professor; Secondary Faculty in Medicine (Rheumatology)

Locations

Microbiology & Immunology
BSB B2855

Contact Information

General Interests

Lyme disease, inflammation and autoimmunity

Education

PhD, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 2014

Learn more about the Lochhead Lab

Research Interests

The Lochhead Lab focuses on mechanisms of arthritis pathogenesis, using animal models of Lyme arthritis and clinical samples collected from patients with various types of arthritis. Much of our research focuses on Lyme disease, caused by infection with the tick-borne pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S., and is reaching epidemic levels in many regions, including the Upper Midwest. Lyme disease is an infection-induced multi-system disorder affecting skin (erythema migrans), heart (carditis), joints (arthritis) or neurologic tissue (neuro-borreliosis). Lyme arthritis (LA) is the most common late-stage manifestation of Lyme disease. Although most patients are effectively treated with antibiotics, 10-20% of treated patients develop post-infectious Lyme arthritis, potentially resulting in months or years of disability. Identifying immune factors that contribute to variability in disease severity and treatment outcome is critically important for public health in Lyme-endemic communities such as Wisconsin. By studying LA, we hope to gain important insights into how infection may trigger immune dysregulation, leading to tissue damage, arthritis, and autoimmunity.

Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity in Lyme Arthritis.

(Ordóñez D, Lochhead RB, Strle K, Pianta A, Arvikar S, Van Rhijn I, Stemmer-Rachamimov A, Steere AC.) Arthritis Rheumatol. 2023 May;75(5):782-793 PMID: 36413215 PMCID: PMC10191881 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85150932196 11/23/2022
Peptidoglycan in osteoarthritis synovial tissue is associated with joint inflammation.

(Holub MN, Wahhab A, Rouse JR, Danner R, McClune MM, Dressler JM, Strle K, Jutras BL, Edelstein AI, Lochhead RB.) Res Sq. 2023 Apr 28 PMID: 37162851 PMCID: PMC10168439 05/10/2023
Evidence of epitope spreading of Lyme autoantigen apoB-100 and identification of a novel immunogenic CD4+ T cell antigen from Borrelia burgdorferi using MHC class II immunopeptidomics analysis

(Rebecca Danner, Michael Perekas, Joseph Rouse, Amanda Wahhab, and Robert Lochhead.) Journal of Proteome Research (in prep). 03/29/2023
Bacterial peptidoglycan is present in synovial tissue from osteoarthritis patients undergoing primary knee arthroplasty and is associated with joint inflammation

(Meaghan Holub, Amanda Wahhab, Joseph Rouse, Rebecca Danner, Mecaila McClune, Jules Dressler, Brandon Jutras, Adam Edelstein, and Robert Lochhead.) Arthritis and Rheumatology (in prep). 03/29/2023
MHCII+ synovial fibroblasts act as inducible antigen presenting cells

(Joseph Rouse, Amanda Wahhab, Rebecca Danner, and Robert Lochhead.) Journal of Experimental Medicine (in prep). 03/29/2023
Lyme arthritis: linking infection, inflammation and autoimmunity.

(Lochhead RB, Strle K, Arvikar SL, Weis JJ, Steere AC.) Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2021 Aug;17(8):449-461 PMID: 34226730 PMCID: PMC9488587 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85109836229 07/07/2021
Lyme arthritis: linking infection, inflammation and autoimmunity

(Lochhead RB, Strle K, Arvikar SL, Weis JJ, Steere AC.) Nature Reviews Rheumatology. August 2021;17(8):449-461 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85109836229 08/01/2021
Report of the Pathogenesis and Pathophysiology of Lyme Disease Subcommittee of the HHS Tick Borne Disease Working Group.

(Donta ST, States LJ, Adams WA, Bankhead T, Baumgarth N, Embers ME, Lochhead RB, Stevenson B.) Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:643235 PMID: 34164410 PMCID: PMC8215209 06/25/2021
Borrelia burgdorferi peptidoglycan is a persistent antigen in patients with Lyme arthritis.

(Jutras BL, Lochhead RB, Kloos ZA, Biboy J, Strle K, Booth CJ, Govers SK, Gray J, Schumann P, Vollmer W, Bockenstedt LK, Steere AC, Jacobs-Wagner C.) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Jul 02;116(27):13498-13507 PMID: 31209025 PMCID: PMC6613144 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85068263050 06/19/2019
Interferon-gamma production in Lyme arthritis synovial tissue promotes differentiation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes into immune effector cells.

(Lochhead RB, Ordoñez D, Arvikar SL, Aversa JM, Oh LS, Heyworth B, Sadreyev R, Steere AC, Strle K.) Cell Microbiol. 2019 Feb;21(2):e12992 PMID: 30550623 PMCID: PMC6336510 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85059527799 12/15/2018
Robust interferon signature and suppressed tissue repair gene expression in synovial tissue from patients with postinfectious, Borrelia burgdorferi-induced Lyme arthritis.

(Lochhead RB, Arvikar SL, Aversa JM, Sadreyev RI, Strle K, Steere AC.) Cell Microbiol. 2019 Feb;21(2):e12954 PMID: 30218476 PMCID: PMC6724218 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85055262062 09/16/2018
Correlation of Lyme Disease-Associated IgG4 Autoantibodies With Synovial Pathology in Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis.

(Sulka KB, Strle K, Crowley JT, Lochhead RB, Anthony R, Steere AC.) Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018 Nov;70(11):1835-1846 PMID: 29790305 PMCID: PMC6203610 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85053733387 05/24/2018