Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38983560›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in ophthalmology2022

CXCL13, CXCL10 and CXCL8 as Indicators of Ocular and Neurological Involvement in Patients With Ocular Syphilis: An Observational Descriptive Study.

Laurie W van der Merwe, Candice Snyders, Martin Kidd, Novel N Chegou, Gerhard Walzl, Derrick P Smit

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in ophthalmology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Putative mechanisms of ocular inflammation in syphilis.Journal of ophthalmic inflammation and infection · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Laurie W van der MerweDivision of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Candice SnydersDepartment of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research; South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research; Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Martin KiddCentre for Statistical Consultation, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Novel N ChegouDepartment of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research; South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research; Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Gerhard WalzlDepartment of Science and Innovation - National Research Foundation (DSI-NRF) Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research; South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research; Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Derrick P SmitDivision of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the role of the chemokines CXCL13, CXCL10 and CXCL8 in the diagnosis of ocular- and neurosyphilis by examining the serum, aqueous humour (AH) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with ocular syphilis. Methods: An observational descriptive study was performed prospectively at Tygerberg Academic Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa from 1 February 2018 till 31 January 2021 which enrolled 23 participants. 14 Patients were male and 9 female, 15 patients were HIV positive, and all patients were newly diagnosed with ocular syphilis. Upon diagnosis of ocular syphilis, the HIV status of each patient was determined, and 3 samples (AH, serum and CSF) were collected to measure the levels of CXCL13, CXCL10 and CXCL8 in each. All patients were treated with 14 days of intravenous Penicillin G and topical corticosteroid drops for uveitis. Results: The mean concentrations of all 3 biomarkers were higher in the AH and CSF than in the serum. The mean concentrations of the 3 measured biomarkers were markedly different when comparing both AH and CSF levels to serum levels. The level of CXCL13 measured in the AH correlated well with the concentrations found in the CSF of patients with neurosyphilis. In patients with neurosyphilis, mean AH levels of CXCL13 and CXCL10 were markedly higher than in serum while mean CSF levels of CXCL10 were also markedly higher than in serum. Also, the AH/serum ratio of CXCL13 and CXCL10, as well as the CSF/serum ratio of CXCL10, was much higher in patients with neurosyphilis than without. In patients with HIV infection, mean AH CXCL13 levels were much higher than in patients without HIV infection. Conclusion: The levels of CXCL13, CXCL10 and CXCL8 in the AH of patients with neurosyphilis are similar to previously reported levels in the CSF of patients with neurosyphilis and can potentially be an adjunct in the diagnosis of ocular syphilis. Patients with ocular syphilis who tested negative for neurosyphilis with conventional CSF testing showed features of neurosyphilis when analysing the CSF chemokines.

Indexed as

CXCL10CXCL13CXCL8neurosyphilisocular syphilisuveitis

Identifiers

PMID38983560
PMCPMC11182300

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.