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Neuroendocrine disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
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http://scholar.google.com/scholar_u...QUAJ9O4uhblkIM9STp1Dqg&nossl=1&oi=scholaralrt

Neuroendocrine disorder in chronic fatigue syndrome

Slavica TOMIC1, Snezana BRKIC1, Dajana LENDAK1,*, Daniela MARIC1,
Milica MEDIC STOJANOSKA2, Aleksandra NOVAKOV MIKIC3

1Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
2Clinic of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Faculty of Medicine,
University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
3Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia

Background/aim:

Neuroendocrine disorders are considered a possible pathogenetic mechanism in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The aim of our study was to determine the function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) and thyroid function in women of reproductive age suffering from CFS.

Materials and methods:

The study included 40 women suffering from CFS and 40 healthy women (15–45 years old). Serum levels of cortisol (0800 and 1800 hours), ACTH, total T4, total T3, and TSH were measured in all subjects. The Fibro Fatigue Scale was used for determination of fatigue level.

Results:

Cortisol serum levels were normal in both groups. The distinctively positive moderate correlation of morning and afternoon cortisol levels that was observed in healthy women was absent in the CFS group. This may indicate a disturbed physiological rhythm of cortisol secretion. Although basal serum T4, T3, and TSH levels were normal in all subjects, concentrations of T3 were significantly lower in the CFS group.

Conclusion:

One-time hormone measurement is not sufficient to detect hormonal imbalance in women suffering from CFS. Absence of a correlation between afternoon and morning cortisol level could be a more representative factor for detecting HPA axis disturbance.

Key words: Chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, cortisol, thyroid hormones
 

CBS

Senior Member
Messages
1,522
The altered daily cortisol curve is representative of altered sleeping and activity patterns, it is a consequence, not a cause.
That's a pretty definitive statement. I'm curious, upon what is your statement founded?

Are you familiar with the role of CRH as a common precursor to both vasopressin and cortisol?
 

CBS

Senior Member
Messages
1,522
The same patterns can be induced in healthy people by altering sleep and activity patterns.
Even if the patterns were exactly the same, it's quite a statement to rule out any other causes in all ME/CFS patients. Are you aware of any studies showing early (pre-six months from onset) ME/CFS patients without altered Cortisol levels? Again, what about vasopressin (look at early ME/CFS research co-authored by Straus)?
 

Never Give Up

Collecting improvements, until there's a cure.
Messages
971
In Serbia they must have a different idea of
women of reproductive age
than I do here in the USA. Their subjects were 15-45 years old. Thought technically I guess it's true, 15 is a bit young...
 

Marky90

Science breeds knowledge, opinion breeds ignorance
Messages
1,253
This has never been off in most patients.. Seems like yet another payday-study..