With respect to the reduction in CSF TGF-β concentration with stage progression, while we were unable to measure CSF TGF-β in a sympatric control population, published data on CSF TGF-β levels in normal subjects (266 pg/ml [35]) suggest that in both early and late stage of infection TGF-β CSF concentrations are reduced below control levels. This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and infection.