title: Intrathecal cytokine responses in Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense sleeping sickness patients.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK.
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Maclean
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Odiit
authors.forename: Jeremy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sternberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D019798:Neopterin / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D016833:Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D014454:Uganda
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016753:Interleukin-10; D019798:Neopterin