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Immune molecule linked to Ebola fatalities

Justin30

Senior Member
Messages
1,065

Hutan

Senior Member
Messages
1,099
Location
New Zealand
(This is me slowly working through this... )

The Ebola research (above) found that people infected with Ebola who had a high level of CTLA-4 were more likely to die than infected people with low levels. So, potentially, low levels of CTLA-4 are protective against Ebola.

Given that most Ebola survivors seem to end up with a post-infection syndrome that sounds like ME/CFS, just possibly low levels of CTLA-4 might have the considerable upside of ensuring survival but a downside of pushing the body towards ME/CFS.

Wikipedia: CTLA4 or CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4), also known as CD152 (cluster of differentiation 152), is a protein receptor that, functioning as an immune checkpoint, downregulates the immune system.

So high levels of CTLA-4 would down-regulate the immune system, which is not what you want when fighting Ebola.

What are CTLA-4 levels like in PWME?

In the NCNED research (link given above), they measured a whole range of receptors and other things associated with CD8+ T cells. CTLA-4 levels in PWME weren't different to levels in healthy controls.

Still, CTLA-4 levels may change a lot depending on whether the body is fighting off a viral infection and the length of time since fighting off such an infection.
 

Justin30

Senior Member
Messages
1,065
CFS/ME patients may display an exhausted profile which permits viral prevalence and persistence. The above data may suggest that the differential expressions of receptors and adhesion molecules in MS patients are in response to imbalances in neuroimmune homeostasis. In comparison to CFS/ME patients, MS patients may have more severe immune dysregulation. Nevertheless it is likely that impairments in CD8+ T cells in CFS/ME patients relate to abnormal levels of adhesion and migratory molecules and these abnormalities may contribute to the persistent immune dysregulation observed and warrant further validation in a larger sample size.
 

Eeyore

Senior Member
Messages
595
This is very interesting for ebola. However, I don't see a direct connection to ME, nor do I have reason to suspect that levels are abnormal and prognostic.

It would be very interesting to study CTLA-4 levels in a wide variety of diseases. I don't know a great deal about it yet, but the ebola prognostic significance is exciting.
 

msf

Senior Member
Messages
3,650
It seems to regulate T-cell response, at least to some infections. One possible cause of ME would be an abnormal immune response to infection.
 

Eeyore

Senior Member
Messages
595
I suspect that ME is probably an aberrant response to some immune stimulus, be it lyme bacteria, random viruses vaccines, or even mold.

I just don't see anything that strongly suggests this particular mechanism is in play. It's not likely to be in play in the vast majority of diseases that involve abnormal responses.

If seems like it would be worth studying in lots of patent populations as I don't know where it would be valid, and it wouldn't be that hard to d. I'm just saying that the theories on ME we are using do not clearly point at this molecule - which is not to say it cannot be involved.
 

msf

Senior Member
Messages
3,650
No, I never said they did. My point was the same as yours, that it would seem to be worth looking at just in case it is involved.
 

Justin30

Senior Member
Messages
1,065
It deserves further look as the result of people that did not doe from Ebola ended up with POST EBOLA SYNDROME.

This PES has a very similar clinical presentation to ME real Ramsays WHO's definition as a Neurological Disorder:

Post-Ebola virus syndrome (or Post-Ebola syndrome) is a post-viral syndrome affecting those who have recovered from infection withEbola. It manifests as joint pain, muscle pain,chest pain, fatigue, hearing loss, hair loss,cessation of menstruation, and poor long term health. Some survivors report neurological issues including memory problems and anxiety attacks. Vision loss is also frequently reported, along with eye pain,inflammation, and blurred vision.[1] NEJM indicated that symptoms were lethargy, arthralgia, and alopecia, and also have experienced a vision loss of some degree, many of whom are close to being blind. There have been cases of uveitis.[2][3]

This is why it needs to be explored further.

Its in part who lives or dies but at what consequnce.

Looks similar to Polio virus and Poliomylietis in a sense....