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Cytokine profiles of chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis patients

Daisymay

Senior Member
Messages
754

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043466614004165


Cytokine
Volume 70, Issue 1, November 2014, Pages 76
SI: 2014 ICIS Abstract Issue
ICIS Conference

199: Cytokine profiles of chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis patients

Aims
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are both disorders with severe neuroimmune symptoms, including cognitive impairment, immune dysfunction and abnormal cytokine expression. The purpose of this study was to assess the T helper (Th) 1, Th2 and Th17 cytokine profiles of CFS and MS patients.

Conclusion
Cytokines patterns supported both Th1 and Th2 cytokine profiles in CFS and MS. Similarities in the cytokine profiles of MS and CFS, combined with the already acknowledged similarities in immune cell function and symptoms, suggests a neuroimmune pathology for CFS with parallels to that of MS. Additional studies into the cytokine profiles of both CFS and MS should be conducted, with larger sample sizes, to further expand the understanding of the pathologies of both disorders.
 

user9876

Senior Member
Messages
4,556
The above is a abstract being presented at the International Cytokine and Interferon Society to be held in Melbourne in October:

http://www.cytokines2014.com/

Perhaps the interesting bit is

Results
When the three groups were compared, it was found that TNF-α (p = 0.011, p = 0.012), IL-4 (p = 0.000, p = 0.000), IL-6 (p = 0.039, p = 0.031), IL-13 (p = 0.000, p = 0.000) and IL-17 (p = 0.004, p = 0.038) were all significantly higher in MS patients compared with CFS patients and controls respectively. However, in the MS patients and CFS patients, serum levels of IL-13 and IFN-γ were significantly higher (p ⩽ 0.001) compared with the controls. IFN-γ was significantly different between MS and CFS (p = 0.001), with MS exhibiting higher IFN-γ serum levels.

The CFS patients were diagnosed using ICC. The sample sizes are small.

I've no idea what different cytokines do!
 

Jonathan Edwards

"Gibberish"
Messages
5,256
Thanks for pointing out this abstract.


I would be very interested in reading the full article.

I suspect there is no full article, since this is due to be published in a volume dedicated to conference abstracts. That usually means that this is a preliminary communication in abstract form only.

There is a rather embarrassing technical problem in the abstract in that some p values are given as 0.000! Probabilities are never zero in this context. I wonder if the senior authors checked the abstract! I think there may also be a Bonferoni correction problem. It looks as if the authors did at least 28 calculations that address the question of whether CFS has a specific cytokine profile in comparison to normal and MS. That means that we may have to think about multiplying all the p values by something like 28 (a Bonferoni correction). It is not as simple as that but I would wait to see a full peer reviewed report before passing judgment on these findings.
 

Denise

Senior Member
Messages
1,095
I suspect there is no full article, since this is due to be published in a volume dedicated to conference abstracts. That usually means that this is a preliminary communication in abstract form only.

There is a rather embarrassing technical problem in the abstract in that some p values are given as 0.000! Probabilities are never zero in this context. I wonder if the senior authors checked the abstract! I think there may also be a Bonferoni correction problem. It looks as if the authors did at least 28 calculations that address the question of whether CFS has a specific cytokine profile in comparison to normal and MS. That means that we may have to think about multiplying all the p values by something like 28 (a Bonferoni correction). It is not as simple as that but I would wait to see a full peer reviewed report before passing judgment on these findings.



Thank you for highlighting these concerns.
I agree that it is wise to exercise caution before passing judgment on these (or any) findings.
 

MeSci

ME/CFS since 1995; activity level 6?
Messages
8,231
Location
Cornwall, UK
Mady Hornig has said that pwME have high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in the first 3 years only. I wonder how long the subjects in this study had been ill.

Interferons can cause low mood among other things.