Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ludovic Giloteaux, Jiayin Li, Mady Hornig, W. Ian Lipkin, David Ruppert, Maureen R. R. Hanson
Summary: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex disease characterized by unexplained fatigue and other symptoms. This study found increased levels of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and IL2 cytokine in plasma of ME/CFS patients. The correlations between specific proteins and clinical data suggest immune response and hemostasis dysfunctions in ME/CFS.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Irene Tsilioni, Benjamin Natelson, Theoharis C. Theoharides
Summary: This study found that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) associated with serum exosomes is increased in ME/CFS patients only after exercise. Moreover, exosomes isolated from ME/CFS patients stimulate significant release of IL-1 beta from cultured human microglia, indicating that activation of microglia by serum-derived exosomes may serve as a potential novel pathogenetic factor and target for treatment of ME/CFS.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bindu D. Paul, Marian D. Lemle, Anthony L. Komaroff, Solomon H. Snyder
Summary: The review summarizes evidence of biological abnormalities in patients with acute COVID-19 and ME/CFS, including redox imbalance, systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, impaired ATP generation, and general hypometabolism. Although these phenomena have not been extensively studied in individuals with long COVID-19, understanding these abnormalities may lead to the development of novel therapeutics.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Rebekah Maksoud, Chandi Magawa, Natalie Eaton-Fitch, Kiran Thapaliya, Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
Summary: This systematic review aimed to evaluate potential biomarkers that could effectively differentiate ME/CFS patients from healthy controls. A total of 101 studies were included, and potential biomarkers ranged from genetic/epigenetic, immunological, metabolomics/mitochondrial/microbiome, endovascular/circulatory, neurological, ion channel, to physical dysfunction biomarkers. The findings indicated evidence of immune dysfunction in ME/CFS and the use of lymphocytes as a model to investigate the pathomechanism of the illness.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irene Soffritti, Sabine Gravelsina, Maria D'Accolti, Francesca Bini, Eleonora Mazziga, Anda Vilmane, Santa Rasa-Dzelzkaleja, Zaiga Nora-Krukle, Angelika Krumina, Modra Murovska, Elisabetta Caselli
Summary: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex disease without diagnostic biomarkers, but there is evidence supporting a role of herpesviruses and microRNAs in its development. This study found that six out of eight selected microRNAs were differently expressed in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy controls. The levels of these microRNAs correlated with disease severity but not with pro-inflammatory cytokines or HHV-6A/6B genome levels. These results suggest that microRNAs could serve as potential biomarkers and provide insights into ME/CFS pathogenic mechanisms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Rebekah Maksoud, Cassandra Balinas, Sean Holden, Helene Cabanas, Donald Staines, Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
Summary: There is currently insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of mitochondrial-targeting nutraceuticals in treating ME/CFS patients. Future well-designed studies are needed to clarify the involvement of mitochondria in the pathomechanism of ME/CFS and the impact of mitochondrial-modifying agents on illness severity.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joan Carles Domingo, Begona Cordobilla, Roser Ferrer, Marina Giralt, Jose Alegre-Martin, Jesus Castro-Marrero
Summary: ME/CFS patients exhibit alterations in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, as well as associations between FGF21 and NT-proBNP proteins and inflammation. These findings suggest potential novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets for ME/CFS.
ANTIOXIDANTS & REDOX SIGNALING
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Varvara A. A. Ryabkova, Natalia Y. Y. Gavrilova, Alina A. A. Poletaeva, Alexander I. I. Pukhalenko, Irina A. A. Koshkina, Leonid P. P. Churilov, Yehuda Shoenfeld
Summary: Recent studies suggest that antibody-mediated autoimmune mechanisms may play a role in fibromyalgia (FM) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), specifically in relation to G protein-coupled receptors. However, the full extent of the natural antibody network and its implications in these disorders has not been fully explored.
Article
Immunology
Leonard A. Jason, Joseph Cotler, Mohammed F. Islam, Madison Sunnquist, Ben Z. Katz
Summary: This study investigated potential predictors of developing chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in university students six months after developing infectious mononucleosis (IM). The research found that ME/CFS patients had more physical symptoms and immune irregularities before onset, but no significant differences in psychological symptoms compared to those who recovered.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Virology
Thomas Briese, Rafal Tokarz, Lucinda Bateman, Xiaoyu Che, Cheng Guo, Komal Jain, Vishal Kapoor, Susan Levine, Mady Hornig, Alexandra Oleynik, Phenix-Lan Quan, Wai H. Wong, Brent L. Williams, Suzanne D. Vernon, Nancy G. Klimas, Daniel L. Peterson, Jose G. Montoya, Walter Ian Lipkin
Summary: This multicenter study found no consistent group-specific differences in viral nucleic acid presence in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy controls, except for a lower prevalence of anelloviruses. Future investigations into viral infections in ME/CFS should focus on adaptive immune responses rather than surveillance for viral gene products.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Inigo Murga, Larraitz Aranburu, Pascual A. Gargiulo, Juan-Carlos Gomez-Esteban, Jose-Vicente Lafuente
Summary: The study reveals that patients with CFS/ME have low maintained attention and significant cognitive fatigue, with deficits in sustained attention and perception of fatigue serving as sensitive and reliable indicators for confirming or ruling out CFS/ME.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Rahel S. Konig, Werner C. Albrich, Christian R. Kahlert, Lina Samira Bahr, Ulrike Lober, Pietro Vernazza, Carmen Scheibenbogen, Sofia K. Forslund
Summary: Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a neglected, debilitating disease with unclear etiology and pathophysiology. The gut microbiome may play a role in CFS and further research is needed to explore potential diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Alba Gonzalez-Cebrian, Eloy Almenar-Perez, Jiabao Xu, Tong Yu, Wei E. Huang, Karen Gimenez-Orenga, Sarah Hutchinson, Tiffany Lodge, Lubov Nathanson, Karl J. Morten, Alberto Ferrer, Elisa Oltra
Summary: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is diagnosed clinically and is characterized by persistent fatigue and post-exertional malaise. Differential expression of miRNAs in the blood has been observed in patients, but their diagnostic power is limited. Blood vesicles may carry relevant disease information. Raman micro-spectroscopic analysis identified carotenoid peaks as ME/CFS fingerprints, but their diagnostic capacity is limited. However, Raman data helped refine the number of miRNAs in a previous model, ensuring a perfect classification of subjects.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lena Lutz, Johanna Rohrhofer, Sonja Zehetmayer, Michael Stingl, Eva Untersmayr
Summary: ME/CFS patients commonly exhibit abnormalities in immune parameters, including deficiencies or reduction as well as immune activation or inflammation. Common abnormalities include antibody deficiencies and low MBL levels.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Peter L. Toogood, Daniel J. Clauw, Sameer Phadke, David Hoffman
Summary: ME/CFS is a chronic debilitating disease characterized by severe fatigue, pain, sleep disruption, and cognitive dysfunction. Current treatments focus on symptom management and addressing psychological sequelae, with ongoing efforts towards identifying effective therapies and understanding the mechanistic basis of the disease.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andrew B. Gipson, Maureen R. Hanson, Stephane Bentolila
Summary: OZ1 is a crucial protein involved in multiple RNA editing events in the chloroplast, interacting primarily with PPR proteins through its Znf domains and unique C-terminal region. Truncation assays of OZ1 revealed the necessity of its Znf domains for restoring chloroplast RNA editing in vivo, highlighting their key role in the editing process and interaction with RNA-binding factors like ORRM1. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the chloroplast plant editosome model.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jesus Castro-Marrero, Joan Carles Domingo, Begona Cordobilla, Roser Ferrer, Marina Giralt, Ramon Sanmartin-Sentanes, Jose Alegre-Martin
Summary: This study suggests that combined CoQ10 and selenium supplementation may have beneficial effects in ME/CFS patients, significantly improving overall fatigue severity and quality of life, and reducing oxidative stress levels in circulation.
ANTIOXIDANTS & REDOX SIGNALING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Myat T. Lin, Heidi Salihovic, Frances K. Clark, Maureen R. Hanson
Summary: We developed a computational workflow to assemble Rubisco enzyme subunits from transcriptomics data and predicted ancestral Rubiscos of the Solanaceae family. Our findings identified superior ancestral Rubiscos with improved kinetics for C-3 plants, which have the potential to help plants adapt to anthropogenic climate change. This study also advanced our understanding of the evolution of Rubisco's catalytic traits.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jessica Maya, Sabrina M. Leddy, C. Gunnar Gottschalk, Daniel L. Peterson, Maureen R. Hanson
Summary: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling multisystem illness characterized by fatigue, inflammatory symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, and post-exertional malaise. This study found that ME/CFS patients have altered fatty acid metabolism in immune cells, specifically Natural Killer cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD8+ T cells. These metabolic shifts may impact T and NK cell effector function and shed light on the mechanism of action of the illness.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Trinitat Cambras, Maria Fernanda Zeron-Rugerio, Antoni Diez-Noguera, Maria Cleofe Zaragoza, Joan Carles Domingo, Ramon Sanmartin-Sentanes, Jose Alegre-Martin, Jesus Castro-Marrero
Summary: This study explored the association between autonomic dysfunction, circadian rhythms, and endothelial dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients. The results showed that ME/CFS patients had higher blood pressure and heart rate values, as well as a larger amplitude of the activity rhythm. Circulating levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were also significantly higher in ME/CFS patients. These findings suggest that dysautonomia and vascular tone abnormalities may play a role in ME/CFS.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katherine A. Glass, Arnaud Germain, Yuhsin V. Huang, Maureen R. Hanson
Summary: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the changes in urine metabolome between ME/CFS patients and healthy subjects following exertion. The results showed that there were no significant changes in urine metabolome of ME/CFS patients during recovery, while significant changes were observed in healthy subjects, suggesting a lack of adaptation to severe stress in ME/CFS patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ludovic Giloteaux, Jiayin Li, Mady Hornig, W. Ian Lipkin, David Ruppert, Maureen R. R. Hanson
Summary: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex disease characterized by unexplained fatigue and other symptoms. This study found increased levels of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and IL2 cytokine in plasma of ME/CFS patients. The correlations between specific proteins and clinical data suggest immune response and hemostasis dysfunctions in ME/CFS.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Roser Ayats-Vidal, Montserrat Bosque-Garcia, Begona Cordobilla, Oscar De la Cruz, Miguel Garcia-Gonzalez, Jesus Castro-Marrero, Irene Lopez-Rico, Joan Carles Domingo
Summary: This study characterized the fatty acid profiles in the erythrocyte membrane of pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) receiving high-dose DHA supplementation. It found that DHA supplementation improved n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA, while decreasing n-6 PUFAs, mainly arachidonic acid. The long-term administration of DHA was safe and well tolerated, but essential fatty acid alterations could not be fully normalized with this treatment.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Marcos Lacasa, Jose Alegre-Martin, Ramon Sanmartin Sentanes, Luisa Varela-Sende, Joanna Jurek, Jesus Castro-Marrero
Summary: This research found that supplementation with yeast-derived beta-glucan may improve cognitive fatigue symptoms in ME/CFS patients, suggesting its potential use as a nutritional supplement or functional food to prevent or reduce cognitive dysfunction in these patients. Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore the immunometabolic pathomechanisms of beta-glucans in ME/CFS.
Article
Immunology
Franz Martin, Manuel Blanco-Suarez, Paola Zambrano, Oscar Caceres, Miriam Almirall, Jose Alegre-Martin, Beatriz Lobo, Ana Maria Gonzalez-Castro, Javier Santos, Joan Carles Domingo, Joanna Jurek, Jesus Castro-Marrero
Summary: This study found that biomarkers of intestinal barrier function and inflammation are associated with autonomic dysfunction in patients with fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Anti-beta-lactoglobulin antibodies, zonulin-1, lipopolysaccharides, and soluble CD14 may be potential predictors of intestinal barrier dysfunction in these conditions.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Mantle, Lauren Millichap, Jesus Castro-Marrero, Iain P. Hargreaves, Alessandra Napolitano
Summary: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays vital roles in all cells, including mitochondria and extra-mitochondrial functions. CoQ10 deficiency is associated with a wide range of disorders and can be classified into primary and secondary types. Oral supplementation of CoQ10 may be effective in treating patients, but early recognition is crucial to prevent irreversible tissue damage. This article reviews clinical studies on the identification of CoQ10 deficiencies and the outcomes of CoQ10 supplementation, resolving the discrepancies in previous review articles. Potential issues and unresolved matters regarding CoQ10 supplementation in primary CoQ10 deficiency are also discussed.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Maurel, Lydia Gimenez-Llort, Jose Alegre-Martin, Jesus Castro-Marrero
Summary: This study identified four clusters of fibromyalgia patients based on their core clinical symptoms and neuropsychological comorbidities, providing insights into possible therapeutic targets. The results support the interaction between neurobiological, psychological, and social factors and emphasize the importance of assessing risk and protective factors in tailoring personalized interventions.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Geoffrey E. Moore, Betsy A. Keller, Jared Stevens, Xiangling Mao, Staci R. Stevens, John K. Chia, Susan M. Levine, Carl J. Franconi, Maureen R. Hanson
Summary: This study aimed to quantify the duration of post-exertional malaise (PEM) symptoms. Using the Symptom Severity Scale (SSS), the severity and duration of PEM symptoms in ME/CFS patients and healthy controls were assessed. The results showed a significantly prolonged recovery time in ME/CFS patients, with an average of about two weeks, compared to only two days in the control group. These data provide valuable insights for understanding and managing exercise-induced symptoms in ME/CFS patients.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
S. Maurel, N. Saez-Francas, N. Calvo, J. Alegre-Martin, J. Castro-Marrero
Summary: Objective Fibromyalgia (FM) is a prevalent and disabling condition characterized by chronic widespread pain. This study investigated the correlation between psychological variables (acceptance, negative affect, and mindfulness) and functional disability, physical impact, anxiety/depression symptoms, and emotional distress in individuals with FM. The results showed that negative affect was positively correlated with functional disability, anxiety/depression symptoms, and emotional distress, while acceptance and mindfulness were negatively correlated with these variables. Acceptance and mindfulness were found to mediate the relationship between negative affect and the dependent variables.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Adam J. O'Neal, Katherine A. Glass, Christopher J. Emig, Adela A. Vitug, Steven J. Henry, Dikoma C. Shungu, Xiangling Mao, Susan M. Levine, Maureen R. Hanson
Summary: This study investigates the presence of an infectious trigger and immune dysregulation in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Although the specific pathogen cannot be identified, the results reveal sex-based differences in steady-state humoral immunity in both patients and healthy controls.