Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Leah R. Williams, Carol Isaacson-Barash
Summary: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex multi-system disease with varied onset and severity. The illness can range from mild to very severe, impacting daily life and posing challenges for treatment.
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
Health Care Sciences & Services
Whitney Dafoe
Summary: This personal account provides insights into the experience of living with Extremely Severe ME/CFS from the perspective of a bedridden patient, covering illness progression, medical history, description of various aspects of the condition, and essays on specific experiences.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Laura Kim, Claudia Kedor, Frank Buttgereit, Harald Heidecke, Desiree Schaumburg, Carmen Scheibenbogen
Summary: Fatigue is a common and debilitating symptom in primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) patients. This study aimed to evaluate fatigue and other symptoms in pSS patients and investigate if there is symptom overlap with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The severity of pSS symptoms and disease activity were assessed, and hand grip strength (HGS) and autoantibody levels were measured. Some pSS patients experienced severe fatigue and exhibited higher levels of pain, depression, and sleep disturbances. Four out of eighteen pSS patients met the criteria for ME/CFS. HGS parameters correlated strongly with fatigue severity but fully recovered after exertion, unlike ME/CFS. Elevated levels of certain autoantibodies were associated with disease activity but not fatigue severity. Only a small subgroup of pSS patients fulfilled the criteria for ME/CFS, and post-exertional malaise was primarily triggered by mental/emotional exertion rather than physical exertion. HGS assessment is an objective measure for overall fatigue severity.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Carmen Scheibenbogen, Judith Theresia Bellmann-Strobl, Cornelia Heindrich, Kirsten Wittke, Elisa Stein, Christiana Franke, Harald Pruess, Hannah Pressler, Marie-Luise Machule, Heinrich Audebert, Carsten Finke, Hanna Gwendolyn Zimmermann, Birgit Sawitzki, Christian Meisel, Markus Toelle, Anne Krueger, Anna C. Aschenbrenner, Joachim L. Schultze, Marc D. Beyer, Markus Ralser, Michael Muelleder, Leif Erik Sander, Frank Konietschke, Friedemann Paul, Silvia Stojanov, Lisa Bruckert, Dennis M. Hedderich, Franziska Knolle, Gabriela Riemekasten, Maria J. G. T. Vehreschild, Oliver A. Cornely, Uta Behrends, Susen Burock
Summary: The sequela of COVID-19, known as post-COVID-19 condition or syndrome (PCS), encompasses a range of symptoms caused by immune dysregulation, autoimmunity, endothelial dysfunction, viral persistence, and viral reactivation. However, it is unclear whether different clinical subgroups of PCS can be distinguished based on the expression of biomarkers. There is an overlap between symptoms and mechanisms of PCS and postinfectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Currently, there are no curative therapies available for ME/CFS or PCS, but the identified mechanisms provide targets for therapeutic interventions. To accelerate the development of therapies, it is proposed to evaluate drugs targeting different mechanisms in clinical trial networks using harmonized diagnostic and outcome criteria and subgroup patients based on comprehensive clinical profiling, including diagnostic and biomarker phenotyping.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dane B. Cook, Stephanie VanRiper, Ryan J. Dougherty, Jacob B. Lindheimer, Michael J. Falvo, Yang Chen, Jin-Mann S. Lin, Elizabeth R. Unger
Summary: Cardiopulmonary exercise responses in ME/CFS patients are characterized by inefficient ventilation and increased perception of effort compared to fitness-matched controls. Distinguishing confounding fitness effects is important to identify responses specifically associated with ME/CFS.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Gabriella Bernhoff, Eva Rasmussen-Barr, Lina Bunketorp Kaell
Summary: Patients diagnosed with ME/CFS showed impaired physical and mental exertion ability, worse pain, and poorer overall health compared to individuals with similar symptoms but no ME/CFS diagnosis. These results support the focus on patients' self-care, particularly in terms of energy management.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
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)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Klaus J. Wirth, Carmen Scheibenbogen
Summary: ME/CFS is hypothesized to be caused by autonomic nervous system dysfunction and vascular dysregulation due to β2AdR dysfunction, resulting in excessive release of vasoconstrictors in skeletal muscles. The bioenergetic disturbance in skeletal muscle contributes to postexertional malaise, exercise intolerance, and disease chronification.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
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
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sayoni Das, Krystyna Taylor, James Kozubek, Jason Sardell, Steve Gardner
Summary: This study provides the first detailed genetic insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning ME/CFS and offers new approaches for better diagnosis and treatment of patients.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Giuseppe Francesco Damiano Lupo, Gabriele Rocchetti, Luigi Lucini, Lorenzo Lorusso, Elena Manara, Matteo Bertelli, Edoardo Puglisi, Enrica Capelli
Summary: The study revealed significant differences in the intestinal microbiota and metabolomic profile between CFS/ME patients and healthy controls, indicating characteristics of dysbiosis. Specific microbial compositions were observed in the oral and fecal samples of CFS/ME patients, along with abnormal levels of certain substances detected in the metabolomic analysis. Further research is needed to determine the causality and potential relationship between microbial changes and the onset of CFS/ME, as well as their association with secondary symptoms.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Alan Cash, David Lyons Kaufman
Summary: This study examined the use of high-dose AEO as a medical food to relieve pathological fatigue in ME/CFS and Long-COVID patients. The results showed significant reductions in physical and mental fatigue after 6 weeks of treatment, suggesting that AEO may be an effective treatment option.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher Brydges, Xiaoyu Che, Walter Ian Lipkin, Oliver Fiehn
Summary: This study proposes the use of Bayesian statistics to analyze metabolomics data and improve the assessment of specific differences. By incorporating prior information from one study into the next study, Bayesian statistics identified biological conclusions about myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) that were not found through frequentist approaches.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
William Weir, Nigel Speight
Summary: This review discusses the controversy surrounding the condition of ME/CFS, emphasizing the importance of historical perspective in understanding the disputed causation. It suggests that academic research rather than psychological theorization is key to proper understanding and treatment of the disease.
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
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
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Arnaud Germain, Ludovic Giloteaux, Geoffrey E. Moore, Susan M. Levine, John K. Chia, Betsy A. Keller, Jared Stevens, Carl J. Franconi, Xiangling Mao, Dikoma C. Shungu, Andrew Grimson, Maureen R. Hanson
Summary: Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a prominent symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). By monitoring plasma metabolites, this study found significant differences in metabolic response and recovery pattern between ME/CFS patients and healthy control participants after two maximal exercise tests. Glutamate metabolism was identified as a crucial factor in the metabolic disruptions that lead to PEM.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Han Zhu, Francisco X. Galdos, Daniel Lee, Sarah Waliany, Yuhsin Vivian Huang, Julia Ryan, Katherine Dang, Joel W. Neal, Heather A. Wakelee, Sunil A. Reddy, Sandy Srinivas, Lih-Ling Lin, Ronald M. Witteles, Holden T. Maecker, Mark M. Davis, Patricia K. Nguyen, Sean M. Wu
Summary: This study identified expanded cytotoxic CD8(+) Temra cells in the blood of patients with ICI myocarditis, which were clonally expanded and exhibited activated and cytotoxic phenotypes. These cells progressed into an exhausted phenotype after glucocorticoid treatment. The study also demonstrated the interaction between these expanded cells and innate immune cells, as well as the absence of key anti-inflammatory signals.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francisco X. Galdos, Sidra Xu, William R. Goodyer, Lauren Duan, Yuhsin Huang, Soah Lee, Han Zhu, Carissa Lee, Nicholas Wei, Daniel Lee, Sean M. Wu
Summary: devCellPy is a highly accurate and precise machine learning-enabled tool for automated prediction of cell types across complex cellular hierarchies. It has been demonstrated to be useful in constructing a murine cardiac developmental atlas and predicting cardiomyocyte subtypes in human induced pluripotent stem cells.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
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)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Yuhsin Vivian Huang, Sarah Waliany, Daniel Lee, Francisco X. Galdos, Ronald M. Witteles, Joel W. Neal, Alice C. Fan, Holden T. Maecker, Patricia K. Nguyen, Sean M. Wu, Han Zhu
JACC: CARDIOONCOLOGY
(2022)
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
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
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.
