Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in serum and CSF of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness patients before and after treatment

Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL- 10, tumour necrosis factor-a and interferon-y were determined in 46 Trypanosoma brucei gambiense sleeping sickness patients in DR Congo, before and after treatment. According to their CSF cell number before treatment, patients were classified as early-stage (0-5 cells/muL), intermediate-stage (6-20 cells/muL) or late-stage patients (>20 cells/ muL). In serum, slightly higher IL-8 concentrations were found in early-stage patients compared to intermediate- or late-stage patients. These high IL-8 levels dropped after treatment. Higher IL-10 concentrations were detected in serum of patients in intermediate or late stage compared to early-stage patients. In both intermediate- and late-stage groups, serum IL-10 decreased after treatment. In CSF, elevated concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and especially of IL-10 were observed in late-stage T b. gambiense patients. After treatment, these concentrations dropped to levels similar to those of the other patients. Tumour necrosis factor-a was detected only in a few serum and CSF samples, which were scattered over the different patient groups. Interferon-gamma was detected in serum of 5 patients and remained undetectable in CSF.