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Chronic fatigue syndrome and the immune system: Where are we now?

hixxy

Senior Member
Messages
1,229
Location
Australia
Neurophysiol Clin. 2017 Apr 11. pii: S0987-7053(17)30006-0. doi: 10.1016/j.neucli.2017.02.002.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and the immune system: Where are we now?

Mensah FKF, Bansal AS, Ford B, Cambridge G.

Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is characterised by multiple symptoms including fatigue, headaches and cognitive impairment, which have a significantly adverse effect on the normal functioning and well-being of the individual. These symptoms are often triggered or worsened following physical or mental exertion. ME/CFS has long been thought of as having a significant immunological component, but reports describing changes in immune function are often inconsistent between study groups. Although the wide range of physical, neurocognitive and autonomic symptoms reported have seriously hampered attempts to understand pathophysiological pathways, investment in biomedical research in ME/CFS is finally increasing with a number of novel and promising investigations being published. The onset of ME/CFS may often be linked to (viral) infections which would be consistent with a variety of alterations in natural killer (NK) cell function as described by a number of different groups. Consistency in cytokine data has been lacking so far, although recently more sophisticated approaches have led to more robust data from large patient cohorts. New hope has also been given to sufferers with the possibility that therapies that deplete B cells can result in clinical improvement. To understand the pathogenic mechanism in this complex condition, it is important to consider repeated analysis in different cohorts. In this review, we will discuss the potential of different components of the immune system to be involved in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

KEYWORDS:
B cells; Biomedical research; Cellules B; Cellules NK; Cytokines; EM/SFC; Immune system; ME/CFS; NK cells; Recherche biomédicale; Système immunitaire

PMID: 28410877
DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2017.02.002
 

charles shepherd

Senior Member
Messages
2,239
Immune system function in ME/CFS - new review (April 2017)

New review of research findings relating to the role of the immune system in ME/CFS

Abstract only available - full paper is not open access:

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is characterised by multiple symptoms including fatigue, headaches and cognitive impairment, which have a significantly adverse effect on the normal functioning and well-being of the individual.

These symptoms are often triggered or worsened following physical or mental exertion.

ME/CFS has long been thought of as having a significant immunological component, but reports describing changes in immune function are often inconsistent between study groups.

Although the wide range of physical, neurocognitive and autonomic symptoms reported have seriously hampered attempts to understand pathophysiological pathways, investment in biomedical research in ME/CFS is finally increasing with a number of novel and promising investigations being published.

The onset of ME/CFS may often be linked to (viral) infections which would be consistent with a variety of alterations in natural killer (NK) cell function as described by a number of different groups.

Consistency in cytokine data has been lacking so far, although recently more sophisticated approaches have led to more robust data from large patient cohorts.

New hope has also been given to sufferers with the possibility that therapies that deplete B cells can result in clinical improvement.

To understand the pathogenic mechanism in this complex condition, it is important to consider repeated analysis in different cohorts. In this review, we will discuss the potential of different components of the immune system to be involved in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS.

Pubmed link:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28410877
 

Persimmon

Senior Member
Messages
135
OFF-TOPIC

Are headaches characteristic of Me/cfs? I get headaches, sure, but they're not a signal symptom of ours that warrants second-top billing imo...

Hi Murph,
Headaches used to be central to descriptions of ME. In the early outbreaks, headache was recorded as a dominant symptom.

Typical example - the 1957 BMJ article about the Royal Free outbreak lists headaches as the most common symptom during the early stages of illness; and as a major problem for patients in the chronic stage.

The most important figure in the history of ME, Melvin Ramsay, rated headaches as one its three cardinal symptoms.

In contrast, headache is regarded as far less important in the CDC/NIH conceptualisation of CFS. Ditto the Wessely School view.

Similarly, Lenny Jason doesn't perceive headaches to be a characterising symptom.
Eg in his 1999 community-based sampling (Archives of Internal Medicine) Jason found headaches to be a problem for only 1/2 of CFS patients. 7 others symptoms ranked above it.

Perhaps the prominence of headaches depends on which subset of patients you look at, and/or how you conceptualise ME or CFS or ME/CFS.
 

Forbin

Senior Member
Messages
966
Pain is, in general, a required symptom of the CCC, and headache is one of the types pain listed. In the press, the headache description is often condensed to "headaches of a new type."

I certainly developed migraines for the first time shortly after onset, but, for me, they were only a significant feature of the disease in the first year.

4. Pain:* There is a significant degree of myalgia. Pain can be experienced in the muscles and/or joints, and is often widespread and migratory in nature. Often there are significant headaches of new type, pattern or severity.
- - -​
To be included, the symptoms must have begun or have been significantly altered after the onset of this illness... The disturbances tend to form symptom clusters that may fluctuate and change over time.
- - -​
*There is a small number of patients who have no pain or sleep dysfunction, but no other diagnosis fits except ME/CFS. A diagnosis of ME/CFS can be entertained when this group has an infectious illness type onset.
- - -​
Many patients have significant new onset headaches of many types, including tension and pressure headaches and migraines.

http://phoenixrising.me/wp-content/uploads/Canadian-definition.pdf
 

lauluce

as long as you manage to stay alive, there's hope
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