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Endotoxins in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with African sleeping sickness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

V. W. Pentreath ,
R. A. Alafiatayo ,
B. Crawley ,
F. Doua  and
E. A. Oppenheim
V. W. Pentreath
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT
R. A. Alafiatayo
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT
B. Crawley
Affiliation:
Microbiology Department, Public Health Laboratory, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2LR
F. Doua
Affiliation:
Projet de Recherches Cliniques sur la Trypanosomiase, BP 1425 Daloa, République de Côte d'lvoire
E. A. Oppenheim
Affiliation:
Microbiology Department, Public Health Laboratory, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 2LR
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Summary

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.

Keywords

African sleeping sicknessendotoxinpathogenesiscerebrospinal fluid.
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 112 , Issue 1 , January 1996 , pp. 67 - 73
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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