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Table 1 Potential roles and inconsistencies associated with cytokines in sleeping sickness

From: The role of cytokines in the pathogenesis and staging of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense sleeping sickness

Cytokine

Experimental trypanosomiasis

HAT

TNF-α

 1)

Parasite growth control and extended survival [49, 66, 109]

Associated with rapid disease progression [8]

 2)

Control of infection induced pathology [49, 65]

No clear role in disease pathogenesis [71, 72]

 3)

Mediate development of anemia [68]

No data

 4)

Involvement in neuropathology and blood brain barrier dysfunction [15, 70]

No data

IFN-γ

 1)

Enhance parasite growth [74]

Neurological response involvement [13]

 2)

Parasite growth control [18, 61, 73]

No neurological response involvement [76]

 3)

Mediate development of anemia [73]

No data

 4)

Involvement in neuropathology and blood brain barrier dysfunction [15, 75]

No data

 5)

Fever induction [60]

No data

IL-1β

 1)

Involvement in neuropathology [15, 82, 83]

No involvement in disease progression or pathology [13]

TGF-β

 1)

No data

Involvement in pathology [8] No involvement in pathology [13]

IL-6

 1)

Reduction in neuropathology [15]

No defined role despite elevation in late stage [13, 72, 76, 92, 93]

IL-10

 1)

Reduced pathology and extended survival [15, 61]

No defined role despite elevation in late stage [8, 71, 72, 76, 93]

  1. TNF-α: Tumour necrosis factor- alpha, IFN-γ: Interferon gamma, IL-1β: Interleukin-1 beta, TGF-β: Transforming growth factor- beta, IL-6: Interleukin-6, IL-10: Interleukin-10, HAT: Human African trypanosomiasis