[Autoantibodies in human african trypanosomiasis (smooth muscle antibodies during a Trypanosoma gambiense disease) (author's transl)].

The authors report the case of a patient with a T. gambiense african trypanosomiasis who presented up to one year after treatment autoimmune disorders seemingly related to this infection, and especially smooth muscle autoantibodies with high titres, antinuclear antibodies, antibodies to erythrocytes, and rheumatoid factors, with probably production of immune complexes and complement activation by both pathways. The particularity of this case is the production of smooth muscle autoantibodies, which has never been reported before in african trypanosomiasis. It seems that other usual conditions of smooth muscle antibodies production may be eliminated, and no antigenic community between some components of smooth muscles and trypanosomes has been found. So it may be an autoimmune disorder induced by trypanosomiasis and possibly linked with cytotoxicity effects.