A Preliminary Comparative Assessment of the Role of CD8+ T Cells in ME/CFS & MS

[voner]

Preliminary Comparative Assessment of the Role of CD8+ T Cells in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis.
Brenu EW1, Broadley S2, Nguyen T3, Johnston S3, Ramos S1, Staines D1, Marshall-Gradisnik S3

Abstract
Background. CD8+ T cells have putative roles in the regulation of adaptive immune responses during infection. The purpose of this paper is to compare the status of CD8+ T cells in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). Methods. This preliminary investigation comprised 23 CFS/ME patients, 11 untreated MS patients, and 30 nonfatigued controls. Whole blood samples were collected from participants, stained with monoclonal antibodies, and analysed on the flow cytometer. Using the following CD markers, CD27 and CD45RA (CD45 exon isoform 4), CD8+ T cells were divided into naïve, central memory (CM), effector memory CD45RA- (EM), and effector memory CD45RA+ (EMRA) cells. Results. Surface expressions of BTLA, CD127, and CD49/CD29 were increased on subsets of CD8+ T cells from MS patients. In the CFS/ME patients CD127 was significantly decreased on all subsets of CD8+ T cells in comparison to the nonfatigued controls. PSGL-1 was significantly reduced in the CFS/ME patients in comparison to the nonfatigued controls. Conclusions. The results suggest significant deficits in the expression of receptors and adhesion molecules on subsets of CD8+ T cells in both MS and CFS/ME patients. These deficits reported may contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases. However, larger sample size is warranted to confirm and support these encouraging preliminary findings.

Here is the pubmed abstract link:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26881265

whole paper:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4736227/pdf/JIR2016-9064529.pdf

 

[A.B.]

23 ME/CFS patients were selected according to the international consensus criteria. These were considered moderately sick according to the Bell disability score. Disease duration was 14.96 ± 8.87, so most have been sick for a long time.

The findings are similar to what Lipkin/Horning reported last year, of an exhausted immune profile.

Not sure how reliable the findings are though.

 

[Valentijn]

Average age of onset for the MS patients was 6.11? Some editors were asleep at the wheel I think.

 

[msf]

I thought MS and ME were the mirror image of each other in the Lipkin study? Or was that only within the first 3 years?

 

[halcyon]

I thought MS and ME were the mirror image of each other in the Lipkin study? Or was that only within the first 3 years?

The MS control was in the CSF study which was all long term patients if I recall correctly.

 

[msf]

Ah, that was it.