Observational studyClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2021
Extravascular Dermal Trypanosomes in Suspected and Confirmed Cases of gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis.
Observational study in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers.
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Who cites it
37 citing papers in PubMed, 77 citations in OpenAlex.
- Glycerol metabolism triggers trypanosome differentiation into transmissible forms in mammalian tissue-like conditions.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Human Leukocyte Antigen-G is enriched in presence of trypanosome in the dermis of individuals exposed to gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis in Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT): Epidemiology, Biological Diagnosis and Treatment: A Review.Acta parasitologica · 2025Review
- Dermal trypanosomes in seropositive suspects of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in Côte d'Ivoire.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Observational
- Article
- Evasive mechanisms of human VSG and PfEMP1 antigens with link to Vaccine scenario: a review.Journal of parasitic diseases : official organ of the Indian Society for Parasitology · 2025Review
- Article
- Modelling timelines to elimination of sleeping sickness in the Democratic Republic of Congo, accounting for possible cryptic human and animal transmission.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Prevalence of dermal trypanosomes in suspected and confirmed cases of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in Guinea.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Observational
- Specificity of serological screening tests and reference laboratory tests to diagnose gambiense human African trypanosomiasis: a prospective clinical performance study.Infectious diseases of poverty · 2024Article
- Adipose and skin distribution of African trypanosomes in natural animal infections.Parasites & vectors · 2024Article
- Neglected tropical disease (NTD) diagnostics: current development and operations to advance control.Pathogens and global health · 2024Review
- Pathogenicity and virulence of African trypanosomes: From laboratory models to clinically relevant hosts.Virulence · 2023Review
- FLAgellum Member 8 modulates extravascular distribution of African trypanosomes.PLoS pathogens · 2023Article
- Vector-borne Trypanosoma brucei parasites develop in artificial human skin and persist as skin tissue forms.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Adipocyte lipolysis protects mice against Trypanosoma brucei infection.Nature microbiology · 2023Article
- Neglected tropical diseases in Republic of Guinea: disease endemicity, case burden and the road towards the 2030 target.International health · 2023Review
- γδ T cells control murine skin inflammation and subcutaneous adipose wasting during chronic Trypanosoma brucei infection.Nature communications · 2023Article
- Prevalence of blood and skin trypanosomes in domestic and wild fauna from two sleeping sickness foci in Southern Cameroon.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2023Article
- Does a One Health approach to human African trypanosomiasis control hasten elimination? A stochastic compartmental modeling approach.Acta tropica · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
17 authors at 4 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe diagnosis of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (gHAT) typically involves 2 steps: a serological screen, followed by the detection of living trypanosome parasites in the blood or lymph node aspirate. Live parasites can, however, remain undetected in some seropositive individuals, who, we hypothesize, are infected with Trypanosoma brucei gambiense parasites in their extravascular dermis.
methodsTo test this hypothesis, we conducted a prospective observational cohort study in the gHAT focus of Forecariah, Republic of Guinea. Of the 5417 subjects serologically screened for gHAT, 66 were enrolled into our study and underwent a dermatological examination. At enrollment, 11 seronegative, 8 unconfirmed seropositive, and 18 confirmed seropositive individuals had blood samples and skin biopsies taken and examined for trypanosomes by molecular and immunohistological methods.
resultsIn seropositive individuals, dermatological symptoms were significantly more frequent, relative to seronegative controls. T.b. gambiense parasites were present in the blood of all confirmed cases (n = 18) but not in unconfirmed seropositive individuals (n = 8). However, T. brucei parasites were detected in the extravascular dermis of all unconfirmed seropositive individuals and all confirmed cases. Skin biopsies of all treated cases and most seropositive untreated individuals progressively became negative for trypanosomes 6 and 20 months later.
conclusionsOur results highlight the skin as a potential reservoir for African trypanosomes, with implications for our understanding of this disease's epidemiology in the context of its planned elimination and underlining the skin as a novel target for gHAT diagnostics.
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