Publication
Title
Blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier and intrathecal immunoglobulins compared to field diagnosis of central nervous system involvement in sleeping sickness
Author
Abstract
Diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) involvement in sleeping sickness is crucial in order to give an appropriate treatment regimen. Neurological symptoms occur late, therefore field diagnosis is based on white blood cell count, total protein concentration and presence of trypanosomes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). More sensitive and specific parameters are now available. Blood-CSF barrier (B-CSFB) dysfunction, intrathecal total and specific immunoglobulin synthesis were evaluated in 95 patients with and without obvious meningoencephalitis, and compared to field criteria. B-CSFB dysfunction is a rather late event in the course of CNS involvement and correlates with the presence of trypanosomes, neurological signs and intrathecal polyspecific and specific immune response. IgM intrathecal response and particularly IgM antibody index are early markers of CNS invasion. We showed that 29% of patients with CSF abnormalities but without trypanosome detection in the field had no neuro-immunological response. In contrast, patients with normal CSF according to field diagnosis showed an intrathecal immune response in 31% of the cases. Field diagnosis can therefore fail to determine neurological involvement but can also provide false positive results. Improved criteria including B-CSFB dysfunction and IgM detection are needed in order to provide an adapted treatment regimen. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of the neurological sciences. - Amsterdam
Publication
Amsterdam : 2002
ISSN
0022-510X
DOI
10.1016/S0022-510X(01)00655-4
Volume/pages
193 :2 (2002) , p. 127-135
ISI
000173643000008
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 03.01.2013
Last edited 23.08.2024
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