Copyright
©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Infect Dis. Nov 25, 2013; 3(4): 79-85
Published online Nov 25, 2013. doi: 10.5495/wjcid.v3.i4.79
Published online Nov 25, 2013. doi: 10.5495/wjcid.v3.i4.79
Role of chemokines and cytokines in the neuropathogenesis of African trypanosomiasis
Willias Masocha, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, Safat 13110, Kuwait
Author contributions: Masocha W solely wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Willias Masocha, B Pharm (Hons), PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kuwait University, PO Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait. masocha@hsc.edu.kw
Telephone: +965-24636078 Fax: +965-24636841
Received: August 26, 2013
Revised: September 12, 2013
Accepted: September 18, 2013
Published online: November 25, 2013
Processing time: 92 Days and 21.9 Hours
Revised: September 12, 2013
Accepted: September 18, 2013
Published online: November 25, 2013
Processing time: 92 Days and 21.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanosoma brucei spp., is staged into an early hemolymphatic stage and a late meningoencephalitic stage. During the late stage parasites, increased numbers/levels of white blood cells, cytokines and/or chemokines are found in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients. In this mini review, contemporary findings on how chemokines and cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), TNF-α, C-X-C motif chemokine 8 (CXCL8) and CXCL10, are thought to play an important role in the central nervous system invasion by the parasites, inflammation and the neuropathology of the disease and what might be candidates to differentiate between early and late stage HAT are discussed.