Meningoencephalitic African trypanosomiasis: Brain IL-10 and IL-6 are associated with protection from neuro-inflammatory pathology.
The relationship of neuropathology to CNS inflammatory and counter-inflammatory cytokine production in African trypanosome-infected mice was studied using an infection model with a defined disease progression. The initial phase of CNS infection by trypanosomes, where only mild neuropathology is evident, was characterised by high levels of IL-10 and IL-6. In the later phase of CNS infection and in a post-drug treatment model, moderate to severe neuropathology was associated with high levels of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. The relationship of these cytokines to neuropathological grade suggests that IL-10 and IL-6 protect the CNS from inflammatory pathology when parasites first enter the brain and the data reconcile previously contradictory clinical measurements of CSF cytokines in meningoencephalitic patients with post-mortem histopathology observations.
Sternberg
Jeremy M
JM
School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK. j.sternberg@abdn.ac.uk
Rodgers
Jean
J
Bradley
Barbara
B
Maclean
Lorna
L
Murray
Max
M
Kennedy
Peter G E
PG
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D020805:Central Nervous System Viral Diseases; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009566:Nitrates / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism*
D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009566:Nitrates; D016753:Interleukin-10