Anemia is a common complication in many infectious diseases, including protozoan parasitic infections. Trypanosomes are eukaryotic parasites and most relevant human trypanosome pathogens are Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi. Autoimmunity during Trypanosoma brucei infection is indicated to have a role during anemia, but anemia caused by trypanosome infection is poorly understood. In mouse models and human patients infected with malaria parasites, atypical B-cells promote anemia through the secretion of autoimmune anti-phosphatidylserine (anti-PS) antibodies that bind to uninfected erythrocytes and facilitate their clearance.

This study used mouse models of two trypanosome infections, Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi, to assess levels of autoantibodies and anemia. PS exposure on erythrocyte plasma membrane appears to contribute to anemia by delaying erythrocyte recovery. As a result, this study also examined plasma of patients with human African trypanosomiasis. The dataset includes three tables, which contains optical density values for antibodies and anemia during acute Trypanosoma brucei infection in mice, antibodies and anemia during acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection in mice, and human African Trypanosomiasis and anti-PS antibody response.