Abstract
Intrathecal cytokine levels and blood -cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier function were studied in 91 Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense-infected patients. The CSF concentration of the cellular immune activation marker neopterin and the cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 were increased over control and post-treatment levels in all patients, with maximal levels observed in late-stage (meningoencephalitic) individuals. Analysis of CSF/serum concentration quotients indicated that IL-10 and neopterin were derived from central nervous system synthesis in at least 25% of the patients. Blood-CSF barrier dysfunction occurred in 64% of late-stage patients but not in early-stage patients. While the high level of neopterin observed in the late-stage patient CSF is indicative of widespread cellular activation, the increased levels of IL-6 and IL-10 suggest that counter-inflammatory cellular responses may be important in the regulation of neuropathogenesis in late-stage human African trypanosomiasis. (c) 2005 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 270-275 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene |
Volume | 100 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2006 |
Keywords
- trypanosomiasis
- Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense
- cerebrospinat fluid
- neuropathogenesis
- neopterin
- cytokine
- Uganda
- CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM
- HUMAN AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS
- NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA
- CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID
- NITRIC-OXIDE
- NEOPTERIN
- SERUM
- INTERLEUKIN-6
- INVOLVEMENT
- DIAGNOSIS