Two Newcastle University research studies funded by Action for M.E. have concluded, having investigated immune responses and muscle dysfunction in people with M.E.
IMMUNE RESPONSES OF PEOPLE WITH M.E.
Prof Stephen Todryk, Professor of Immunology, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, investigated the immune responses of people with M.E. in a £19,500 study joint-funded by Action for M.E. and The ME Association.
He found that those who were more severely affected had fewer natural killer cells and fewer bacteria-fighting antibodies, but more inflammatory interferon.
“The study of larger numbers of patients over a period of time will help to prove theseassociations, making these measurements useful for working out new and effective ways of diagnosing and treating CFS/M.E.,” says Prof Todryk in his lay summary which appears below.
UNDERSTANDING MUSCLE DYSFUNCTION IN M.E.
In May 2012, Action for M.E. awarded £25,000 to Dr Phil Manning and Prof Julia Newton at Newcastle University for their study into muscle dysfunction.
The funding provided by Action for M.E. was matched by Newcastle University’s Faculty of Medical Sciences to establish the Action for M.E. PhD Studentship, awarded to top science graduate, Gina Rutherford.
“In this project, muscle samples were obtained from CFS/M.E. patients in an attempt to investigate muscle function in more detail,” explains Gina in her lay summary.
“This research project did not find any evidence of biochemical or metabolic dysfunction in muscle cell samples obtained from CFS/M.E. patients. This contrasts previous work that has reported muscle dysfunction in CFS/M.E. patients following exercise. Further investigations are required to determine the biological basis of fatigue in CFS/M.E. patients.”
PROFESSOR TODRYK’S LAY SUMMARY
Immune Responses in CFS
There are likely to be many causes of CFS/ME, but various laboratories report that immune function in people with CFS is different to otherwise healthy people. CFS often follows after an infection, and the immune response that usually fights the infection may become out of control in CFS. So the measurement of immune responses may tell us about the cause and severity of a sufferer’s disease and suggest how it can be treated.
Our research in Newcastle has involved the clinical network at the local Hospitals and the immunology lab at Northumbria University.
We recruited 50 CFS sufferers whose illness was measured for severity, and we made many measurements of their immune systems (white blood cells and antibodies).
We found that people with worse disease had fewer cells called NK cells, known to fight viruses. They also had less antibody against bacteria called Mycoplasma, but more inflammatory interferon. This is interesting, and the study of larger numbers of patients over a period of time will help to prove these associations, making these measurements useful for working out new and effective ways of diagnosis and treatment of CFS.
Summary of findings
Significant results:
NK cells are reduced with increased fatigue severity
CD57+ NK cells are reduced with increased fatigue severity
Antibodies against Mycoplasma are reduced with increased fatigue severity
Non-specific IFN-gamma production is increased with increased fatigue severity
CMV IgM is increased with increased fatigue severity
GINA RUTHERFORD’S LAY SUMMARY
from ME Association
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