Connection between Autoimmunity and Julia Newton's work?

[bertiedog]

Could somebody please explain what connection there is between ME/CFS likely being an autoimmune disorder and the work recently done by Dr Julia Newton showing many differences and abnormalities in our muscles when being exercised?

I can relate to what Dr Newton has described regarding the high lactate we produce when exercising but not at all sure what link there is to our illness being autoimmune.

For me I can feel quite well sitting around at home resting and pottering about but I have had a complete inability to walk for more than 25 minutes for over 11 years now since ME/CFS gradually kept making me worse. On the other hand I do have autoimmune Hashimotos and my adrenals don't work either so I have to have steroids but taking meds for both haven't got rid of the ME/CFS they just make me feel better in myself.

I still feel that there will be sub groups and that we are not all the same even though we might have been given the label of CFS.

Thanks
Pam

 

[Firestormm]

I shall take a stab at this one Pam and say that Prof. Newton hasn't made any connection with her work and Me being an autoimmune condition. She might have posited autoimmunity or problems with the immune system and her work with Orthostatic Intolerance however; but I can't actually remember at this moment. In relation to her work on muscles and reaction to exercising them - she hasn't made a connection that I am aware of. Hope that helps. Sorry it's garbled - tea is burning!!

 

[bertiedog]

I shall take a stab at this one Pam and say that Prof. Newton hasn't made any connection with her work and Me being an autoimmune condition. She might have posited autoimmunity or problems with the immune system and her work with Orthostatic Intolerance however; but I can't actually remember at this moment. In relation to her work on muscles and reaction to exercising them - she hasn't made a connection that I am aware of. Hope that helps. Sorry it's garbled - tea is burning!!

Yes I think it might well be the case that she hasn't made any connection, it was that I am trying to understand if there is a connection!

I was thinking particularly about all the speakers at last week's Invest In Me conference in London where there appeared to be a general agreement that ME is probably an autoimmune illness. Why would an autoimmune illness affect our muscles especially if they don't find any high antibodies in our blood?

Pam

 

[Bob]

Great question to explore, bertiedog.
I don't think I've seen Julia Newton explicitly suggest any specific connection between her muscle study, and autoimmunity.

 

[alex3619]

Actually we have a very high autoantibody load, and a wide variety of them. Maes published a paper on this last year I think, but I do not recall the name of it offhand. What we lack is the autoantibodies typically found in other autoimmune diseases, but thats the same as saying that if ME is autoimmune then its not some other autoimmune disease. I am too tired to say more tonight, but there is a lot that can be said about this .... but its mostly speculation at this point.