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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates
Published on: January 27, 2019
Increased CXCL-13 levels in human African trypanosomiasis meningo-encephalitis
Bertrand Courtioux1, Lynda Pervieux, Gedeao Vatunga
1Institut de Neurologie Tropicale, Université de Limoges, Limoges, France. bertrand.courtioux@unilim.fr
Objectives:
To determine the role of the B-cell attracting chemokine CXCL-13, which may initiate B-cell trafficking and IgM production in diagnosing HAT meningo-encephalitis.
Methods:
We determined CXCL-13 levels by ELISA on paired sera and CSF of 26 patients from Angola and of 16 controls (six endemic and ten non-endemic). Results were compared to standard stage determination markers and IgM intrathecal synthesis.
Results:
CXCL-13 levels in patients' sera had a median value of 386.6 pg/ml and increased levels were associated with presence of trypanosomes in the CSF but not with other stage markers. CXCL-13 levels in patients' CSF had a median value of 80.9 pg/ml and increased levels were associated with all standard stage determination markers and IgM intrathecal synthesis.
Conclusion:
CXCL-13 levels in CSF increased significantly during the course of HAT. Hence the value of CXCL-13 for diagnosis, follow-up or as a marker of disease severity should be tested in a well-defined cohort study.
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