CXCL13 chemokine as a promising biomarker to diagnose neurosyphilis in HIV-negative patients.

Yan-Li Zeng,Zhao-Ji Liu,Chao-Ning Zou,Yi-Qiang Lin,Jiang-Hua Yan,Feng Peng,Hui-Lin Zhang,Ning-Ning Zhang,Wei-Hong Zheng,Li–Li Liu

doi:10.1186/s40064-016-2462-4

Yan-Li Zeng, Zhao-Ji Liu + Show 8 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s40064-016-2462-4

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Abstract

BackgroundChemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) is believed to play a role in the recruitment of B cells in the central nervous system during neuroinflammation. Neurosyphilis is a group of clinical syndromes of the central nervous system caused by Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) infection. The relationship between CXCL13 and neurosyphilis still needs further study. In our study, CSF and serum CXCL13 concentrations were detected among 40 neurosyphilis patients, 31 syphilis/non-neurosyphilis patients, 26 non-syphilis/other central nervous system diseases patients. Serum CXCL13 concentrations were detected in 49 healthy persons. All enrolled persons were HIV-negative. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the threshold value that could distinguish neurosyphilis from syphilis.ResultsWe found that the CSF CXCL13 concentrations and CXCL13 quotient (QCXCL13) were significantly increased in neurosyphilis patients compared to syphilis/non-neurosyphilis (χ2 = 21.802, P < 0.001) and non-syphilis patients (χ2 = 7.677, P = 0.002). ROC curve analyses revealed that CSF CXCL13 concentrations and QCXCL13 could serve as valuable biomarkers for differentiating neurosyphilis from non-neurosyphilis/syphilis.ConclusionsThe CSF CXCL13 and QCXCL13 could serve as valuable biomarkers for differentiating neurosyphilis from non-neurosyphilis/syphilis in HIV-negative patients.

Highlights

Chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) is believed to play a role in the recruitment of B cells in the central nervous system during neuroinflammation
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) concentrations have been suggested as a marker for the diagnosis of neurosyphilis in HIV-infected patients because they are independent of CSF pleocytosis and the markers of HIV (Marra et al 2010)
The serum CXCL13 level was significantly higher in the neurosyphilis and syphilis/ non-neurosyphilis groups than in the healthy volunteers (χ2 = 48.491, P < 0.001; χ2 = 17.170, P < 0.001)

Summary

Introduction

Chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) is believed to play a role in the recruitment of B cells in the central nervous system during neuroinflammation. CSF and serum CXCL13 concentrations were detected among 40 neurosyphi‐ lis patients, 31 syphilis/non-neurosyphilis patients, 26 non-syphilis/other central nervous system diseases patients. CXCL13 seems to be the major determinant of B cell recruitment to the central nervous system compartment in different neuroinflammatory diseases (Husson et al 2002; Cadavid and Londono 2009). Elevated CXCL13 levels were found in the CSF of neurosyphilis patients with HIV infection and in the CSF of patients with multiple sclerosis, acute Lyme neuroborreliosis, clinically isolated syndrome and other inflammatory neurological diseases (Kowarik et al 2012). We assessed the regulatory response of CXCL13 in the CSF and serum of patients with neurosyphilis, syphilis and other central nervous system diseases, as well as healthy volunteers to explore the utility of CXCL13 concentrations in differentiating neurosyphilis from non-neurosyphilis/syphilis in HIVnegative patients

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