Proinflammatory cytokine expression in the early phase of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense infection in vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops).

A vervet monkey model of trypanosomiasis was used to study inflammatory cytokine responses in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Gamma interferon levels were transiently up-regulated in serum between days 6 and 8 of infection, followed by a sustained up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and soluble TNF receptor 1. At no time were these cytokines detectable in the CSF.