title: Endotoxins in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with African sleeping sickness.
abstract: Endotoxin levels were measured in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of control individuals and 2 groups of patients with African sleeping sickness. Endotoxin levels were markedly elevated in the blood (infected groups mean endotoxin values 40.2 pg/ml and 53.8 pg/ml, compared to control 11.6 pg/ml, P < 0.0001 for both increases) and CSF (infected groups mean endotoxin values 45.8 pg/ml and 50.1 pg/ml compared to control 6.3 pg/ml, P < 0.0001 for both increases) of the patients. The levels were reduced 6 weeks following different drug treatments in the 2 groups (blood levels to mean 33.8 pg/ml and 28.5 pg/ml; CSF levels to 37.4 pg/ml and 27.0 pg/ml). The blood endotoxin values correlated with the CSF values before treatment (r = 0.74 and 0.57 for the 2 groups; P < 0.0001 for both) and after treatment (r = 0.57 and 0.56 for the 2 groups; P < 0.0001 for both). It is concluded that raised endotoxin equilibrates in the blood and CSF compartments, and may contribute significantly to the pathology of sleeping sickness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Salford.
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Pentreath
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Alafiatayo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Crawley
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Doua
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Oppenheim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins