Immunopathology during African Trypanosomosis

Jennifer Cnops, Magdalena R

Abstract

African trypanosomes are the causative agents of Human African Trypanosomosis (HAT), otherwise termed ‘Sleeping Sickness’, and Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT) or ‘Nagana’. These parasites infect humans and animals throughout the African continent, where they cause death and impair economic development. In this review we describe the events leading to the onset of inflammation in the mouse model for trypanosomosis, and we describe two important pathological features associated to the acute pro-inflammatory reaction: anemia and B cell destruction.