title: CXCL13 chemokine as a promising biomarker to diagnose neurosyphilis in HIV-negative patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) is believed to play a role in the recruitment of B cells in the central nervous system during neuroinflammation. Neurosyphilis is a group of clinical syndromes of the central nervous system caused by Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) infection. The relationship between CXCL13 and neurosyphilis still needs further study. In our study, CSF and serum CXCL13 concentrations were detected among 40 neurosyphilis patients, 31 syphilis/non-neurosyphilis patients, 26 non-syphilis/other central nervous system diseases patients. Serum CXCL13 concentrations were detected in 49 healthy persons. All enrolled persons were HIV-negative. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the threshold value that could distinguish neurosyphilis from syphilis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that the CSF CXCL13 concentrations and CXCL13 quotient (QCXCL13) were significantly increased in neurosyphilis patients compared to syphilis/non-neurosyphilis (χ(2) = 21.802, P < 0.001) and non-syphilis patients (χ(2) = 7.677, P = 0.002). ROC curve analyses revealed that CSF CXCL13 concentrations and QCXCL13 could serve as valuable biomarkers for differentiating neurosyphilis from non-neurosyphilis/syphilis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CSF CXCL13 and QCXCL13 could serve as valuable biomarkers for differentiating neurosyphilis from non-neurosyphilis/syphilis in HIV-negative patients.
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Laboratory, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Yan-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Laboratory, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Yi-Qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Laboratory, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Ning-Ning
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Chao-Ning
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Laboratory, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Hui-Lin
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Ji
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Wei-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Center, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province 361102 China.
authors.forename: Jiang-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Center of Clinical Laboratory, Zhongshan Hospital, Medical College Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361004 China.
authors.forename: Li-Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: CXCL13; Cerebrospinal fluid; Neuroinflammation; Neurosyphilis; Treponema pallidum