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Apostolou E, Rosén A. Epigenetic reprograming in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: A narrative of latent viruses. J Intern Med 2024; 296:93-115. [PMID: 38693641 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic disease presenting with severe fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and cognitive disturbances-among a spectrum of symptoms-that collectively render the patient housebound or bedbound. Epigenetic studies in ME/CFS collectively confirm alterations and/or malfunctions in cellular and organismal physiology associated with immune responses, cellular metabolism, cell death and proliferation, and neuronal and endothelial cell function. The sudden onset of ME/CFS follows a major stress factor that, in approximately 70% of cases, involves viral infection, and ME/CFS symptoms overlap with those of long COVID. Viruses primarily linked to ME/CFS pathology are the symbiotic herpesviruses, which follow a bivalent latent-lytic lifecycle. The complex interaction between viruses and hosts involves strategies from both sides: immune evasion and persistence by the viruses, and immune activation and viral clearance by the host. This dynamic interaction is imperative for herpesviruses that facilitate their persistence through epigenetic regulation of their own and the host genome. In the current article, we provide an overview of the epigenetic signatures demonstrated in ME/CFS and focus on the potential strategies that latent viruses-particularly Epstein-Barr virus-may employ in long-term epigenetic reprograming in ME/CFS. Epigenetic studies could aid in elucidating relevant biological pathways impacted in ME/CFS and reflect the physiological variations among the patients that stem from environmental triggers, including exogenous viruses and/or altered viral activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirini Apostolou
- Division of Cell and Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anders Rosén
- Division of Cell and Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Shankar V, Wilhelmy J, Curtis EJ, Michael B, Cervantes L, Mallajosyula VA, Davis RW, Snyder M, Younis S, Robinson WH, Shankar S, Mischel PS, Bonilla H, Davis MM. Oxidative Stress is a shared characteristic of ME/CFS and Long COVID. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.04.592477. [PMID: 38746454 PMCID: PMC11092775 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.04.592477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
More than 65 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have Long COVID (LC), a complex multisystemic condition, wherein patients of all ages report fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and other symptoms resembling myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). With no current treatments or reliable diagnostic markers, there is an urgent need to define the molecular underpinnings of these conditions. By studying bioenergetic characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocytes in over 16 healthy controls, 15 ME/CFS, and 15 LC, we find both ME/CFS and LC donors exhibit signs of elevated oxidative stress, relative to healthy controls, especially in the memory subset. Using a combination of flow cytometry, bulk RNA-seq analysis, mass spectrometry, and systems chemistry analysis, we also observed aberrations in ROS clearance pathways including elevated glutathione levels, decreases in mitochondrial superoxide dismutase levels, and glutathione peroxidase 4 mediated lipid oxidative damage. Critically, these changes in redox pathways show striking sex-specific trends. While females diagnosed with ME/CFS exhibit higher total ROS and mitochondrial calcium levels, males with an ME/CFS diagnosis have normal ROS levels, but larger changes in lipid oxidative damage. Further analyses show that higher ROS levels correlates with hyperproliferation of T cells in females, consistent with the known role of elevated ROS levels in the initiation of proliferation. This hyperproliferation of T cells can be attenuated by metformin, suggesting this FDA-approved drug as a possible treatment, as also suggested by a recent clinical study of LC patients. Thus, we report that both ME/CFS and LC are mechanistically related and could be diagnosed with quantitative blood cell measurements. We also suggest that effective, patient tailored drugs might be discovered using standard lymphocyte stimulation assays.
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Jahanbani F, Sing JC, Maynard RD, Jahanbani S, Dafoe J, Dafoe W, Jones N, Wallace KJ, Rastan A, Maecker HT, Röst HL, Snyder MP, Davis RW. Longitudinal cytokine and multi-modal health data of an extremely severe ME/CFS patient with HSD reveals insights into immunopathology, and disease severity. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1369295. [PMID: 38650940 PMCID: PMC11033372 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1369295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) presents substantial challenges in patient care due to its intricate multisystem nature, comorbidities, and global prevalence. The heterogeneity among patient populations, coupled with the absence of FDA-approved diagnostics and therapeutics, further complicates research into disease etiology and patient managment. Integrating longitudinal multi-omics data with clinical, health,textual, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical data offers a promising avenue to address these complexities, aiding in the identification of underlying causes and providing insights into effective therapeutics and diagnostic strategies. Methods This study focused on an exceptionally severe ME/CFS patient with hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) during a period of marginal symptom improvements. Longitudinal cytokine profiling was conducted alongside the collection of extensive multi-modal health data to explore the dynamic nature of symptoms, severity, triggers, and modifying factors. Additionally, an updated severity assessment platform and two applications, ME-CFSTrackerApp and LexiTime, were introduced to facilitate real-time symptom tracking and enhance patient-physician/researcher communication, and evaluate response to medical intervention. Results Longitudinal cytokine profiling revealed the significance of Th2-type cytokines and highlighted synergistic activities between mast cells and eosinophils, skewing Th1 toward Th2 immune responses in ME/CFS pathogenesis, particularly in cognitive impairment and sensorial intolerance. This suggests a potentially shared underlying mechanism with major ME/CFS comorbidities such as HSD, Mast cell activation syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and small fiber neuropathy. Additionally, the data identified potential roles of BCL6 and TP53 pathways in ME/CFS etiology and emphasized the importance of investigating adverse reactions to medication and supplements and drug interactions in ME/CFS severity and progression. Discussion Our study advocates for the integration of longitudinal multi-omics with multi-modal health data and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to better understand ME/CFS and its major comorbidities. These findings highlight the significance of dysregulated Th2-type cytokines in patient stratification and precision medicine strategies. Additionally, our results suggest exploring the use of low-dose drugs with partial agonist activity as a potential avenue for ME/CFS treatment. This comprehensive approach emphasizes the importance of adopting a patient-centered care approach to improve ME/CFS healthcare management, disease severity assessment, and personalized medicine. Overall, these findings contribute to our understanding of ME/CFS and offer avenues for future research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh Jahanbani
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Justin Cyril Sing
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Donnelly Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rajan Douglas Maynard
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Shaghayegh Jahanbani
- Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Veterans Affairs (VA) Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Janet Dafoe
- ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center at Stanford, Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Whitney Dafoe
- ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center at Stanford, Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Nathan Jones
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Kelvin J. Wallace
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Azuravesta Rastan
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Holden T. Maecker
- Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Institute of Immunity, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Hannes L. Röst
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Donnelly Center, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael P. Snyder
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Ronald W. Davis
- ME/CFS Collaborative Research Center at Stanford, Stanford Genome Technology Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
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Mohanty I, Allaband C, Mannochio-Russo H, El Abiead Y, Hagey LR, Knight R, Dorrestein PC. The changing metabolic landscape of bile acids - keys to metabolism and immune regulation. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024:10.1038/s41575-024-00914-3. [PMID: 38575682 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-024-00914-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Bile acids regulate nutrient absorption and mitochondrial function, they establish and maintain gut microbial community composition and mediate inflammation, and they serve as signalling molecules that regulate appetite and energy homeostasis. The observation that there are hundreds of bile acids, especially many amidated bile acids, necessitates a revision of many of the classical descriptions of bile acids and bile acid enzyme functions. For example, bile salt hydrolases also have transferase activity. There are now hundreds of known modifications to bile acids and thousands of bile acid-associated genes, especially when including the microbiome, distributed throughout the human body (for example, there are >2,400 bile salt hydrolases alone). The fact that so much of our genetic and small-molecule repertoire, in both amount and diversity, is dedicated to bile acid function highlights the centrality of bile acids as key regulators of metabolism and immune homeostasis, which is, in large part, communicated via the gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipsita Mohanty
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Celeste Allaband
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Helena Mannochio-Russo
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yasin El Abiead
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lee R Hagey
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Pietrangelo T, Cagnin S, Bondi D, Santangelo C, Marramiero L, Purcaro C, Bonadio RS, Di Filippo ES, Mancinelli R, Fulle S, Verratti V, Cheng X. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome from current evidence to new diagnostic perspectives through skeletal muscle and metabolic disturbances. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2024; 240:e14122. [PMID: 38483046 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a demanding medical condition for patients and society. It has raised much more public awareness after the COVID-19 pandemic since ME/CFS and long-COVID patients share many clinical symptoms such as debilitating chronic fatigue. However, unlike long COVID, the etiopathology of ME/CFS remains a mystery despite several decades' research. This review moves from pathophysiology of ME/CFS through the compelling evidence and most interesting hypotheses. It focuses on the pathophysiology of skeletal muscle by proposing the hypothesis that skeletal muscle tissue offers novel opportunities for diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome and that new evidence can help resolve the long-standing debate on terminology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Pietrangelo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- IIM-Interuniversity Institute of Myology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano Cagnin
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
- CIR-Myo Myology Center, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
| | - Danilo Bondi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- IIM-Interuniversity Institute of Myology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Carmen Santangelo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- IIM-Interuniversity Institute of Myology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Marramiero
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- IIM-Interuniversity Institute of Myology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Cristina Purcaro
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- IIM-Interuniversity Institute of Myology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Ester Sara Di Filippo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- IIM-Interuniversity Institute of Myology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Rosa Mancinelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- IIM-Interuniversity Institute of Myology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefania Fulle
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- IIM-Interuniversity Institute of Myology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Vittore Verratti
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Xuanhong Cheng
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
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Shrestha DS, Manandhar S, Chalise BS, Rajbhandari SK, Bastola A, Bhandari P, Das SK, Pant P, Sharma S, Kattel HP, Jha RK, Shrestha MR, Shrestha A, Love RR. Symptoms 6 months following SARS-CoV-2 infection in Nepali women. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299141. [PMID: 38466665 PMCID: PMC10927087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In Nepal, over 1 million individuals have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. We sought to describe the frequency of nonrecovery from this infection at 6 months and associated symptoms. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 6142 women who had positive and negative PCR tests for this infection 6 months previously at 3 institutions in Kathmandu. In telephone interviews women provided information on 22 symptoms and their intensities, health status and history, and functional status. Of 3732 women who had tested PCR positive, 630 (16.9%) reported that they were unrecovered. These 630 unrecovered women were distinguished statistically from the 3102 recovered women by more frequent histories of allergies, rheumatoid disease, BCG immunization, Covid vaccination, strep throat and recent URIs, and both weight gain and weight losses of more than 5 kg in the 6 months following testing, and stressful events in the preceding year. Fatigue, pain, difficulty remembering, shortness of breath, heat and cold intolerance and unrefreshing sleep were reported in 41.9% to 10.5% of these 630 unrecovered women. Six months after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection 16.9% of Nepali women have long-COVID manifested as an immune, metabolic, and hormonal systems disruptive and dysfunction syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak S. Shrestha
- Department of Internal Medicine, People’s Dental College and Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | | | | | - Anup Bastola
- Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | | | - Pankaj Pant
- Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Sangita Sharma
- Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | | | | | | | - Anil Shrestha
- Nepal Armed Police Forces Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Bai J, Eldridge R, Houser M, Martin M, Powell C, Sutton KS, Noh HI, Wu Y, Olson T, Konstantinidis KT, Bruner DW. Multi-omics analysis of the gut microbiome and metabolites associated with the psychoneurological symptom cluster in children with cancer receiving chemotherapy. J Transl Med 2024; 22:256. [PMID: 38461265 PMCID: PMC10924342 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05066-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with cancer receiving chemotherapy commonly report a cluster of psychoneurological symptoms (PNS), including pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction. The role of the gut microbiome and its functional metabolites in PNS is rarely studied among children with cancer. This study investigated the associations between the gut microbiome-metabolome pathways and PNS in children with cancer across chemotherapy as compared to healthy children. METHODS A case-control study was conducted. Cancer cases were recruited from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and healthy controls were recruited via flyers. Participants reported PNS using the Pediatric Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. Data for cases were collected pre-cycle two chemotherapy (T0) and post-chemotherapy (T1), whereas data for healthy controls were collected once. Gut microbiome and its metabolites were measured using fecal specimens. Gut microbiome profiling was performed using 16S rRNA V4 sequencing, and metabolome was performed using an untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approach. A multi-omics network integration program analyzed microbiome-metabolome pathways of PNS. RESULTS Cases (n = 21) and controls (n = 14) had mean ages of 13.2 and 13.1 years. For cases at T0, PNS were significantly associated with microbial genera (e.g., Ruminococcus, Megasphaera, and Prevotella), which were linked with carnitine shuttle (p = 0.0003), fatty acid metabolism (p = 0.001) and activation (p = 0.001), and tryptophan metabolism (p = 0.008). Megasphaera, clustered with aspartate and asparagine metabolism (p = 0.034), carnitine shuttle (p = 0.002), and tryptophan (p = 0.019), was associated with PNS for cases at T1. Gut bacteria with potential probiotic functions, along with fatty acid metabolism, tryptophan, and carnitine shuttle, were more clustered in cancer cases than the control network and this linkage with PNS needs further studies. CONCLUSIONS Using multi-omics approaches, this study indicated specific microbiome-metabolome pathways linked with PNS in children with cancer across chemotherapy. Due to limitations such as antibiotic use in cancer cases, these findings need to be further confirmed in a larger cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbing Bai
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Ronald Eldridge
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Madelyn Houser
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Melissa Martin
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Christie Powell
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kathryn S Sutton
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Hye In Noh
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Yuhua Wu
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Thomas Olson
- Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Deborah W Bruner
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Raij T, Raij K. Association between fatigue, peripheral serotonin, and L-carnitine in hypothyroidism and in chronic fatigue syndrome. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1358404. [PMID: 38505756 PMCID: PMC10948554 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1358404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Fatigue of unknown origin is a hallmark symptom in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and is also found in 20% of hypothyroidism patients despite appropriate levothyroxine treatment. Here, we suggest that in these disorders, peripheral serotonin levels are low, and elevating them to normal range with L-carnitine is accompanied with reduced fatigue. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of follow-up clinical data (CFS N=12; hypothyroidism with fatigue N=40) where serum serotonin and fatigue levels were compared before vs. after 7 weeks of oral L-carnitine supplementation. Results After L-carnitine, serotonin increased (8-fold in CFS, Sig. = 0.002, 6-fold in hypothyroidism, Sig. < 0.001) whereas fatigue decreased (2-fold in both CFS and hypothyroidism, Sig. = 0.002 for CFS, Sig. < 0.001 for hypothyroidism). There was a negative correlation between serotonin level and fatigue (for CFS, rho = -0.49 before and -0.67 after L-carnitine; for hypothyroidism, rho = -0.24 before and -0.83 after L-carnitine). Conclusions These findings suggest a new link between low peripheral serotonin, L-carnitine, and fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommi Raij
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department Of Neurobiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- MGH/MIT/HMS Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, MGH Department of Radiology, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kari Raij
- Kruunuhaka Medical Center, Helsinki, Finland
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Gil A, Hoag GE, Salerno JP, Hornig M, Klimas N, Selin LK. Identification of CD8 T-cell dysfunction associated with symptoms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID and treatment with a nebulized antioxidant/anti-pathogen agent in a retrospective case series. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 36:100720. [PMID: 38327880 PMCID: PMC10847863 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Patients with post-acute sequelae of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (PASC, i.e., Long COVID) have a symptom complex highly analogous to many features of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), suggesting they may share some aspects of pathogenesis in these similar disorders. ME/CFS is a complex disease affecting numerous organ systems and biological processes and is often preceded by an infection-like episode. It is postulated that the chronic manifestations of illness may result from an altered host response to infection or inability to resolve inflammation, as is being reported in Long COVID. The immunopathogenesis of both disorders is still poorly understood. Here, we show data that suggest Long COVID and ME/CFS may be due to an aberrant response to an immunological trigger-like infection, resulting in a dysregulated immune system with CD8 T-cell dysfunction reminiscent of some aspects of T-cell clonal exhaustion, a phenomenon associated with oxidative stress. As there is an urgent need for diagnostic tools and treatment strategies for these two related disabling disorders, here, in a retrospective case series, we have also identified a potential nebulized antioxidant/anti-pathogen treatment that has evidence of a good safety profile. This nebulized agent is comprised of five ingredients previously reported individually to relieve oxidative stress, attenuate NF-κB signaling, and/or to act directly to inhibit pathogens, including viruses. Administration of this treatment by nebulizer results in rapid access of small doses of well-studied antioxidants and agents with anti-pathogen potential to the lungs; components of this nebulized agent are also likely to be distributed systemically, with potential to enter the central nervous system. Methods and Findings: We conducted an analysis of CD8 T-cell function and severity of symptoms by self-report questionnaires in ME/CFS, Long COVID and healthy controls. We developed a CD8 T-cell functional assay, assessing CD8 T-cell dysfunction by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) in a group of ME/CFS (n = 12) and Long COVID patients (n = 8), comparing to healthy controls (HC) with similar age and sex (n = 10). Magnet-enriched fresh CD8 T-cells in both patient groups had a significantly diminished capacity to produce both cytokines, IFNγ or TNFα, after PMA stimulation when compared to HC. The symptom severity questionnaire showed similar symptom profiles for the two disorders. Fortuitously, through a retrospective case series, we were able to examine the ICS and questionnaire data of 4 ME/CFS and 4 Long COVID patients in conjunction with their treatment (3-15 months). In parallel with the treatment pursued electively by participants in this retrospective case series, there was an increase in CD8 T-cell IFNγ and TNFα production and a decrease in overall self-reported symptom severity score by 54%. No serious treatment-associated side effects or laboratory anomalies were noted in these patients. Conclusions Here, in this small study, we present two observations that appear potentially fundamental to the pathogenesis and treatment of Long COVID and ME/CFS. The first is that both disorders appear to be characterized by dysfunctional CD8 T-cells with severe deficiencies in their abilities to produce IFNγ and TNFα. The second is that in a small retrospective Long COVID and ME/CFS case series, this immune dysfunction and patient health improved in parallel with treatment with an immunomodulatory, antioxidant pharmacological treatment with anticipated anti-pathogen activity. This work provides evidence of the potential utility of a biomarker, CD8 T-cell dysfunction, and suggests the potential for benefit from a new nebulized antioxidant/anti-pathogen treatment. These immune biomarker data may help build capacity for improved diagnosis and tracking of treatment outcomes during clinical trials for both Long COVID and ME/CFS while providing clues to new treatment avenues that suggest potential efficacy for both conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gil
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Department of Pathology, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - John P. Salerno
- Inspiritol, Inc., Fairfield, CT, USA
- The Salerno Center for Complementary Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Mady Hornig
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, USA
| | - Nancy Klimas
- Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
| | - Liisa K. Selin
- University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Department of Pathology, Worcester, MA, USA
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Gambardella J, Riccio E, Bianco A, Fiordelisi A, Cerasuolo FA, Buonaiuto A, Di Risi T, Viti A, Avvisato R, Pisani A, Sorriento D, Iaccarino G. Fatigue as hallmark of Fabry disease: role of bioenergetic alterations. Front Cardiovasc Med 2024; 11:1341590. [PMID: 38327490 PMCID: PMC10847249 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1341590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Fabry disease (FD) is a lysosomal storage disorder due to the impaired activity of the α-galactosidase A (GLA) enzyme which induces Gb3 deposition and multiorgan dysfunction. Exercise intolerance and fatigue are frequent and early findings in FD patients, representing a self-standing clinical phenotype with a significant impact on the patient's quality of life. Several determinants can trigger fatigability in Fabry patients, including psychological factors, cardiopulmonary dysfunctions, and primary alterations of skeletal muscle. The "metabolic hypothesis" to explain skeletal muscle symptoms and fatigability in Fabry patients is growing acknowledged. In this report, we will focus on the primary alterations of the motor system emphasizing the role of skeletal muscle metabolic disarrangement in determining the altered exercise tolerance in Fabry patients. We will discuss the most recent findings about the metabolic profile associated with Fabry disease offering new insights for diagnosis, management, and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gambardella
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca in Ipertensione Arteriosa e Patologie Associate, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
- Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Eleonora Riccio
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca in Ipertensione Arteriosa e Patologie Associate, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Antonio Pisani
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca in Ipertensione Arteriosa e Patologie Associate, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
- Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Sorriento
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca in Ipertensione Arteriosa e Patologie Associate, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
- Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Guido Iaccarino
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca in Ipertensione Arteriosa e Patologie Associate, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy
- Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy
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11
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Saito S, Shahbaz S, Luo X, Osman M, Redmond D, Cohen Tervaert JW, Li L, Elahi S. Metabolomic and immune alterations in long COVID patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1341843. [PMID: 38304426 PMCID: PMC10830702 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1341843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction A group of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals present lingering symptoms, defined as long COVID (LC), that may last months or years post the onset of acute disease. A portion of LC patients have symptoms similar to myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which results in a substantial reduction in their quality of life. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of LC, in particular, ME/CFS is urgently needed. Methods We identified and studied metabolites and soluble biomarkers in plasma from LC individuals mainly exhibiting ME/CFS compared to age-sex-matched recovered individuals (R) without LC, acute COVID-19 patients (A), and to SARS-CoV-2 unexposed healthy individuals (HC). Results Through these analyses, we identified alterations in several metabolomic pathways in LC vs other groups. Plasma metabolomics analysis showed that LC differed from the R and HC groups. Of note, the R group also exhibited a different metabolomic profile than HC. Moreover, we observed a significant elevation in the plasma pro-inflammatory biomarkers (e.g. IL-1α, IL-6, TNF-α, Flt-1, and sCD14) but the reduction in ATP in LC patients. Our results demonstrate that LC patients exhibit persistent metabolomic abnormalities 12 months after the acute COVID-19 disease. Of note, such metabolomic alterations can be observed in the R group 12 months after the acute disease. Hence, the metabolomic recovery period for infected individuals with SARS-CoV-2 might be long-lasting. In particular, we found a significant reduction in sarcosine and serine concentrations in LC patients, which was inversely correlated with depression, anxiety, and cognitive dysfunction scores. Conclusion Our study findings provide a comprehensive metabolomic knowledge base and other soluble biomarkers for a better understanding of the pathophysiology of LC and suggests sarcosine and serine supplementations might have potential therapeutic implications in LC patients. Finally, our study reveals that LC disproportionally affects females more than males, as evidenced by nearly 70% of our LC patients being female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suguru Saito
- School of Dentistry, Division of Foundational Sciences, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shima Shahbaz
- School of Dentistry, Division of Foundational Sciences, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Xian Luo
- The Metabolomics Innovation Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mohammed Osman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Desiree Redmond
- Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Liang Li
- The Metabolomics Innovation Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shokrollah Elahi
- School of Dentistry, Division of Foundational Sciences, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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12
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Armstrong CW, Mensah FFK, Leandro MJ, Reddy V, Gooley PR, Berkovitz S, Cambridge G. In vitro B cell experiments explore the role of CD24, CD38, and energy metabolism in ME/CFS. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1178882. [PMID: 38259473 PMCID: PMC10800820 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1178882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Disturbances of energy metabolism contribute to the clinical manifestations of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Previously, we found that B cells from ME/CFS patients have an increased expression of CD24, a modulator of many cellular functions including those of cell stress. The relative ability of B cells from ME/CFS patients and healthy controls (HC) to respond to rapid changes in energy demand was compared. Methods CD24, the ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73, the NAD-degrading enzyme CD38, and mitochondrial mass (MM) were measured following cross-linking of the B cell receptor and costimulation with either T-cell-dependent or Toll-like-receptor-9-dependent agonists. The levels of metabolites consumed/produced were measured using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and analyzed in relation to cell growth and immunophenotype. Results Proliferating B cells from patients with ME/CFS showed a lower mitochondrial mass and a significantly increased usage of essential amino acids compared with those from HC, with a significantly delayed loss of CD24 and an increased expression of CD38 following stimulation. Discussion The immunophenotype results suggested the triggering of a stress response in ME/CFS B cells associated with the increased usage of additional substrates to maintain necessary ATP levels. Disturbances in energy metabolism in ME/CFS B cells were thus confirmed in a dynamic in vitro model, providing the basis for further mechanistic investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W. Armstrong
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Fane F. K. Mensah
- Department of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria J. Leandro
- Department of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Venkat Reddy
- Department of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul R. Gooley
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Saul Berkovitz
- Chronic Fatigue Service, Royal London Hospital of Integrated Medicine, University College Hospitals National Health Service Trust, London, United Kingdom
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13
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Kaczmarek MP. Heterogenous circulating miRNA changes in ME/CFS converge on a unified cluster of target genes: A computational analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0296060. [PMID: 38157384 PMCID: PMC10756525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a debilitating, multisystem disease of unknown mechanism, with a currently ongoing search for its endocrine mediators. Circulating microRNAs (miRNA) are a promising candidate for such a mediator and have been reported as significantly different in the patient population versus healthy controls by multiple studies. None of these studies, however, agree with each other on which specific miRNA are under- or over-expressed. This discrepancy is the subject of the computational study presented here, in which a deep dive into the predicted gene targets and their functional interactions is conducted, revealing that the aberrant circulating miRNAs in ME/CFS, although different between patients, seem to mainly target the same specific set of genes (p ≈ 0.0018), which are very functionally related to each other (p ≲ 0.0001). Further analysis of these functional relations, based on directional pathway information, points to impairments in exercise hyperemia, angiogenic adaptations to hypoxia, antioxidant defenses, and TGF-β signaling, as well as a shift towards mitochondrial fission, corroborating and explaining previous direct observations in ME/CFS. Many transcription factors and epigenetic modulators are implicated as well, with currently uncertain downstream combinatory effects. As the results show significant similarity to previous research on latent herpesvirus involvement in ME/CFS, the possibility of a herpesvirus origin of these miRNA changes is also explored through further computational analysis and literature review, showing that 8 out of the 10 most central miRNAs analyzed are known to be upregulated by various herpesviruses. In total, the results establish an appreciable and possibly central role for circulating microRNAs in ME/CFS etiology that merits further experimental research.
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14
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Pan LA, Naviaux JC, Wang L, Li K, Monk JM, Lingampelly SS, Segreti AM, Bloom K, Vockley J, Tarnopolsky MA, Finegold DN, Peters DG, Naviaux RK. Metabolic features of treatment-refractory major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:393. [PMID: 38097555 PMCID: PMC10721812 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02696-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral blood metabolomics was used to gain chemical insight into the biology of treatment-refractory Major Depressive Disorder with suicidal ideation, and to identify individualized differences for personalized care. The study cohort consisted of 99 patients with treatment-refractory major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation (trMDD-SI n = 52 females and 47 males) and 94 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 48 females and 46 males). The median age was 29 years (IQR 22-42). Targeted, broad-spectrum metabolomics measured 448 metabolites. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) were measured as biomarkers of mitochondrial dysfunction. The diagnostic accuracy of plasma metabolomics was over 90% (95%CI: 0.80-1.0) by area under the receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) curve analysis. Over 55% of the metabolic impact in males and 75% in females came from abnormalities in lipids. Modified purines and pyrimidines from tRNA, rRNA, and mRNA turnover were increased in the trMDD-SI group. FGF21 was increased in both males and females. Increased lactate, glutamate, and saccharopine, and decreased cystine provided evidence of reductive stress. Seventy-five percent of the metabolomic abnormalities found were individualized. Personalized deficiencies in CoQ10, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), citrulline, lutein, carnitine, or folate were found. Pathways regulated by mitochondrial function dominated the metabolic signature. Peripheral blood metabolomics identified mitochondrial dysfunction and reductive stress as common denominators in suicidal ideation associated with treatment-refractory major depressive disorder. Individualized metabolic differences were found that may help with personalized management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A Pan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- School of Public Health, Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Panomics Mental Health Initiative, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- New Hope Molecular, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- New Hope Molecular, LLC, 750 Washington Rd, Suite 19, Pittsburgh, PA, 15228, USA.
| | - Jane C Naviaux
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lin Wang
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kefeng Li
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan M Monk
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sai Sachin Lingampelly
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Anna Maria Segreti
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Bloom
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jerry Vockley
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mark A Tarnopolsky
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - David N Finegold
- School of Public Health, Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Panomics Mental Health Initiative, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- New Hope Molecular, LLC, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David G Peters
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- School of Public Health, Department of Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Panomics Mental Health Initiative, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Robert K Naviaux
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA.
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15
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Kavyani B, Ahn SB, Missailidis D, Annesley SJ, Fisher PR, Schloeffel R, Guillemin GJ, Lovejoy DB, Heng B. Dysregulation of the Kynurenine Pathway, Cytokine Expression Pattern, and Proteomics Profile Link to Symptomology in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Mol Neurobiol 2023:10.1007/s12035-023-03784-z. [PMID: 38015302 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03784-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the kynurenine pathway (KP) is believed to play a significant role in neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders. While some evidence links the KP to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), further studies are needed to clarify the overall picture of how inflammation-driven KP disturbances may contribute to symptomology in ME/CFS. Here, we report that plasma levels of most bioactive KP metabolites differed significantly between ME/CFS patients and healthy controls in a manner consistent with their known contribution to symptomology in other neurological disorders. Importantly, we found that enhanced production of the first KP metabolite, kynurenine (KYN), correlated with symptom severity, highlighting the relationship between inflammation, KP dysregulation, and ME/CFS symptomology. Other significant changes in the KP included lower levels of the downstream KP metabolites 3-HK, 3-HAA, QUIN, and PIC that could negatively impact cellular energetics. We also rationalized KP dysregulation to changes in the expression of inflammatory cytokines and, for the first time, assessed levels of the iron (Fe)-regulating hormone hepcidin that is also inflammation-responsive. Levels of hepcidin in ME/CFS decreased nearly by half, which might reflect systemic low Fe levels or possibly ongoing hypoxia. We next performed a proteomics screen to survey for other significant differences in protein expression in ME/CFS. Interestingly, out of the seven most significantly modulated proteins in ME/CFS patient plasma, 5 proteins have roles in maintaining gut health, which considering the new appreciation of how gut microbiome and health modulates systemic KP could highlight a new explanation of symptomology in ME/CFS patients and potential new prognostic biomarker/s and/or treatment avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Kavyani
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Seong Beom Ahn
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Missailidis
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah J Annesley
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul R Fisher
- Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Gilles J Guillemin
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David B Lovejoy
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Benjamin Heng
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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16
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Toews JNC, Philippe TJ, Dordevic M, Hill LA, Hammond GL, Viau V. Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin (SERPINA6) Consolidates Sexual Dimorphism of Adult Rat Liver. Endocrinology 2023; 165:bqad179. [PMID: 38015819 PMCID: PMC10699879 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Produced by the liver, corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) regulates the plasma distribution and actions of glucocorticoids. A sex difference in pituitary growth hormone secretion patterns established during puberty in rats results in increased hepatic CBG production and 2-fold higher plasma corticosterone levels in females. Glucocorticoids control hepatic development and metabolic activities, and we have therefore examined how disrupting the SerpinA6 gene encoding CBG influences plasma corticosterone dynamics, as well as liver gene expression in male and female rats before and after puberty. Comparisons of corticosterone plasma clearance and hepatic uptake in adult rats, with or without CBG, indicated that CBG limits corticosterone clearance by reducing its hepatic uptake. Hepatic transcriptomic profiling revealed minor sex differences (207 differentially expressed genes) and minimal effect of CBG deficiency in 30-day-old rats before puberty. While liver transcriptomes in 60-day-old males lacking CBG remained essentially unchanged, 2710 genes were differentially expressed in wild-type female vs male livers at this age. Importantly, ∼10% of these genes lost their sexually dimorphic expression in adult females lacking CBG, including those related to cholesterol biosynthesis, inflammation, and lipid and amino acid catabolism. Another 203 genes were altered by the loss of CBG specifically in adult females, including those related to xenobiotic metabolism, circadian rhythm, and gluconeogenesis. Our findings reveal that CBG consolidates the sexual dimorphism of the rat liver initiated by sex differences in growth hormone secretion patterns and provide insight into how CBG deficiencies are linked to glucocorticoid-dependent diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia N C Toews
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Tristan J Philippe
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Matthew Dordevic
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Lesley A Hill
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Geoffrey L Hammond
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Victor Viau
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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17
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Wang Q, Shi B, Yang G, Zhu X, Shao H, Qian K, Ye J, Qin A. Metabolomic profiling of Marek's disease virus infection in host cell based on untargeted LC-MS. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1270762. [PMID: 38029131 PMCID: PMC10666056 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1270762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Marek's disease (MD) caused by Marek's disease virus (MDV), poses a serious threat to the poultry industry by inducing neurological disease and malignant lymphoma in infected chickens. However, the underlying mechanisms how MDV disrupts host cells and causes damage still remain elusive. Recently, the application of metabolomics has shown great potential for uncovering the complex mechanisms during virus-host interactions. In this study, chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) infected with MDV were subjected to ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) and multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that 261 metabolites were significantly altered upon MDV infection, with most changes occurring in amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Notably, MDV infection induces an up-regulation of amino acids in host cells during the early stages of infection to provide the energy and intermediary metabolites necessary for efficient multiplication of its own replication. Taken together, these data not only hold promise in identifying the biochemical molecules utilized by MDV replication in host cells, but also provides a new insight into understanding MDV-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingsen Wang
- The International Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture and Agricultural Product Safety, Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Shi
- The International Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture and Agricultural Product Safety, Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guifu Yang
- The International Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture and Agricultural Product Safety, Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xueying Zhu
- The International Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture and Agricultural Product Safety, Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongxia Shao
- The International Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture and Agricultural Product Safety, Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kun Qian
- The International Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture and Agricultural Product Safety, Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianqiang Ye
- The International Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture and Agricultural Product Safety, Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Aijian Qin
- The International Joint Laboratory for Cooperation in Agriculture and Agricultural Product Safety, Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
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18
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Chaves-Filho AM, Braniff O, Angelova A, Deng Y, Tremblay MÈ. Chronic inflammation, neuroglial dysfunction, and plasmalogen deficiency as a new pathobiological hypothesis addressing the overlap between post-COVID-19 symptoms and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Brain Res Bull 2023; 201:110702. [PMID: 37423295 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
After five waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks, it has been recognized that a significant portion of the affected individuals developed long-term debilitating symptoms marked by chronic fatigue, cognitive difficulties ("brain fog"), post-exertional malaise, and autonomic dysfunction. The onset, progression, and clinical presentation of this condition, generically named post-COVID-19 syndrome, overlap significantly with another enigmatic condition, referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Several pathobiological mechanisms have been proposed for ME/CFS, including redox imbalance, systemic and central nervous system inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Chronic inflammation and glial pathological reactivity are common hallmarks of several neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders and have been consistently associated with reduced central and peripheral levels of plasmalogens, one of the major phospholipid components of cell membranes with several homeostatic functions. Of great interest, recent evidence revealed a significant reduction of plasmalogen contents, biosynthesis, and metabolism in ME/CFS and acute COVID-19, with a strong association to symptom severity and other relevant clinical outcomes. These bioactive lipids have increasingly attracted attention due to their reduced levels representing a common pathophysiological manifestation between several disorders associated with aging and chronic inflammation. However, alterations in plasmalogen levels or their lipidic metabolism have not yet been examined in individuals suffering from post-COVID-19 symptoms. Here, we proposed a pathobiological model for post-COVID-19 and ME/CFS based on their common inflammation and dysfunctional glial reactivity, and highlighted the emerging implications of plasmalogen deficiency in the underlying mechanisms. Along with the promising outcomes of plasmalogen replacement therapy (PRT) for various neurodegenerative/neuropsychiatric disorders, we sought to propose PRT as a simple, effective, and safe strategy for the potential relief of the debilitating symptoms associated with ME/CFS and post-COVID-19 syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivia Braniff
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Angelina Angelova
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut Galien Paris-Saclay, F-91400 Orsay, France
| | - Yuru Deng
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, China.
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada; Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC) and Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health (IALH), University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
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19
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Li Y, Hook JS, Ding Q, Xiao X, Chung SS, Mettlen M, Xu L, Moreland JG, Agathocleous M. Neutrophil metabolomics in severe COVID-19 reveal GAPDH as a suppressor of neutrophil extracellular trap formation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2610. [PMID: 37147288 PMCID: PMC10162006 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37567-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe COVID-19 is characterized by an increase in the number and changes in the function of innate immune cells including neutrophils. However, it is not known how the metabolome of immune cells changes in patients with COVID-19. To address these questions, we analyzed the metabolome of neutrophils from patients with severe or mild COVID-19 and healthy controls. We identified widespread dysregulation of neutrophil metabolism with disease progression including in amino acid, redox, and central carbon metabolism. Metabolic changes in neutrophils from patients with severe COVID-19 were consistent with reduced activity of the glycolytic enzyme GAPDH. Inhibition of GAPDH blocked glycolysis and promoted pentose phosphate pathway activity but blunted the neutrophil respiratory burst. Inhibition of GAPDH was sufficient to cause neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation which required neutrophil elastase activity. GAPDH inhibition increased neutrophil pH, and blocking this increase prevented cell death and NET formation. These findings indicate that neutrophils in severe COVID-19 have an aberrant metabolism which can contribute to their dysfunction. Our work also shows that NET formation, a pathogenic feature of many inflammatory diseases, is actively suppressed in neutrophils by a cell-intrinsic mechanism controlled by GAPDH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Li
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jessica S Hook
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Qing Ding
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Xue Xiao
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Department of Population and Data Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Stephen S Chung
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Marcel Mettlen
- Department of Cell Biology, Quantitative Light Microscopy Core, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Lin Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Quantitative Biomedical Research Center, Department of Population and Data Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jessica G Moreland
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Michalis Agathocleous
- Children's Medical Center Research Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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20
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Naviaux RK. Mitochondrial and metabolic features of salugenesis and the healing cycle. Mitochondrion 2023; 70:131-163. [PMID: 37120082 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenesis and salugenesis are the first and second stages of the two-stage problem of disease production and health recovery. Salugenesis is the automatic, evolutionarily conserved, ontogenetic sequence of molecular, cellular, organ system, and behavioral changes that is used by living systems to heal. It is a whole-body process that begins with mitochondria and the cell. The stages of salugenesis define a circle that is energy- and resource-consuming, genetically programmed, and environmentally responsive. Energy and metabolic resources are provided by mitochondrial and metabolic transformations that drive the cell danger response (CDR) and create the three phases of the healing cycle: Phase 1-Inflammation, Phase 2-Proliferation, and Phase 3-Differentiation. Each phase requires a different mitochondrial phenotype. Without different mitochondria there can be no healing. The rise and fall of extracellular ATP (eATP) signaling is a key driver of the mitochondrial and metabolic reprogramming required to progress through the healing cycle. Sphingolipid and cholesterol-enriched membrane lipid rafts act as rheostats for tuning cellular sensitivity to purinergic signaling. Abnormal persistence of any phase of the CDR inhibits the healing cycle, creates dysfunctional cellular mosaics, causes the symptoms of chronic disease, and accelerates the process of aging. New research reframes the rising tide of chronic disease around the world as a systems problem caused by the combined action of pathogenic triggers and anthropogenic factors that interfere with the mitochondrial functions needed for healing. Once chronic pain, disability, or disease is established, salugenesis-based therapies will start where pathogenesis-based therapies end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K Naviaux
- The Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center, Departments of Medicine, and Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, 214 Dickinson St., Bldg CTF, Rm C107, MC#8467, San Diego, CA 92103.
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21
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Milano BA, Moutoussis M, Convertino L. The neurobiology of functional neurological disorders characterised by impaired awareness. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1122865. [PMID: 37009094 PMCID: PMC10060839 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1122865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We review the neurobiology of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND), i.e., neurological disorders not explained by currently identifiable histopathological processes, in order to focus on those characterised by impaired awareness (functionally impaired awareness disorders, FIAD), and especially, on the paradigmatic case of Resignation Syndrome (RS). We thus provide an improved more integrated theory of FIAD, able to guide both research priorities and the diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We systematically address the diverse spectrum of clinical presentations of FND with impaired awareness, and offer a new framework for understanding FIAD. We find that unraveling the historical development of neurobiological theory of FIAD is of paramount importance for its current understanding. Then, we integrate contemporary clinical material in order to contextualise the neurobiology of FIAD within social, cultural, and psychological perspectives. We thus review neuro-computational insights in FND in general, to arrive at a more coherent account of FIAD. FIAD may be based on maladaptive predictive coding, shaped by stress, attention, uncertainty, and, ultimately, neurally encoded beliefs and their updates. We also critically appraise arguments in support of and against such Bayesian models. Finally, we discuss implications of our theoretical account and provide pointers towards an improved clinical diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We suggest directions for future research towards a more unified theory on which future interventions and management strategies could be based, as effective treatments and clinical trial evidence remain limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Annunziata Milano
- Institute of Life Sciences, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Convertino
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Laura Convertino,
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22
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Astin R, Banerjee A, Baker MR, Dani M, Ford E, Hull JH, Lim PB, McNarry M, Morten K, O'Sullivan O, Pretorius E, Raman B, Soteropoulos DS, Taquet M, Hall CN. Long COVID: mechanisms, risk factors and recovery. Exp Physiol 2023; 108:12-27. [PMID: 36412084 PMCID: PMC10103775 DOI: 10.1113/ep090802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the topic of this review? The emerging condition of long COVID, its epidemiology, pathophysiological impacts on patients of different backgrounds, physiological mechanisms emerging as explanations of the condition, and treatment strategies being trialled. The review leads from a Physiological Society online conference on this topic. What advances does it highlight? Progress in understanding the pathophysiology and cellular mechanisms underlying Long COVID and potential therapeutic and management strategies. ABSTRACT Long COVID, the prolonged illness and fatigue suffered by a small proportion of those infected with SARS-CoV-2, is placing an increasing burden on individuals and society. A Physiological Society virtual meeting in February 2022 brought clinicians and researchers together to discuss the current understanding of long COVID mechanisms, risk factors and recovery. This review highlights the themes arising from that meeting. It considers the nature of long COVID, exploring its links with other post-viral illnesses such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, and highlights how long COVID research can help us better support those suffering from all post-viral syndromes. Long COVID research started particularly swiftly in populations routinely monitoring their physical performance - namely the military and elite athletes. The review highlights how the high degree of diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of success in these active populations can suggest management strategies for the wider population. We then consider how a key component of performance monitoring in active populations, cardiopulmonary exercise training, has revealed long COVID-related changes in physiology - including alterations in peripheral muscle function, ventilatory inefficiency and autonomic dysfunction. The nature and impact of dysautonomia are further discussed in relation to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, fatigue and treatment strategies that aim to combat sympathetic overactivation by stimulating the vagus nerve. We then interrogate the mechanisms that underlie long COVID symptoms, with a focus on impaired oxygen delivery due to micro-clotting and disruption of cellular energy metabolism, before considering treatment strategies that indirectly or directly tackle these mechanisms. These include remote inspiratory muscle training and integrated care pathways that combine rehabilitation and drug interventions with research into long COVID healthcare access across different populations. Overall, this review showcases how physiological research reveals the changes that occur in long COVID and how different therapeutic strategies are being developed and tested to combat this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rónan Astin
- Department of Respiratory MedicineUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustLondonUK
- Centre for Human Health and PerformanceInstitute for Sport Exercise and HealthUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Amitava Banerjee
- Institute of Health InformaticsUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Department of CardiologyBarts Health NHS TrustLondonUK
| | - Mark R. Baker
- Faculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Melanie Dani
- Imperial Syncope UnitImperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUK
| | | | - James H. Hull
- Institute of SportExercise and Health (ISEH)Division of Surgery and Interventional ScienceUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Royal Brompton HospitalLondonUK
| | - Phang Boon Lim
- Imperial Syncope UnitImperial College Healthcare NHS TrustLondonUK
| | - Melitta McNarry
- Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research CentreSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
| | - Karl Morten
- Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research CentreSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
- Nuffield Department of Women's and Reproductive HealthUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Oliver O'Sullivan
- Academic Department of Military RehabilitationDefence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford HallLoughboroughUK
- School of MedicineUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiological SciencesFaculty of ScienceStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems BiologyInstitute of SystemsMolecular and Integrative BiologyFaculty of Health and Life SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Betty Raman
- Radcliffe Department of MedicineDivision of Cardiovascular MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Radcliffe Department of MedicineDivision of Cardiovascular MedicineOxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustOxfordUK
| | | | - Maxime Taquet
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation TrustOxfordUK
| | - Catherine N. Hall
- School of Psychology and Sussex NeuroscienceUniversity of SussexFalmerUK
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23
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Li S, Zhan M, Yan S, Xiao X. The Antifatigue Mechanism of Buyang-huanwu Decoction as Revealed by Serum Metabolomics in an Endurance Swimming Rat Model. J Med Food 2022; 25:1038-1049. [DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2022.k.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Li
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Min Zhan
- The Second Clinical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, China
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shikai Yan
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xue Xiao
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, China
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24
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Williams ESCP, Martins TB, Hill HR, Coiras M, Shah KS, Planelles V, Spivak AM. Plasma cytokine levels reveal deficiencies in IL-8 and gamma interferon in Long-COVID. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2022:2022.10.03.22280661. [PMID: 36238724 PMCID: PMC9558442 DOI: 10.1101/2022.10.03.22280661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Up to half of individuals who contract SARS-CoV-2 develop symptoms of long-COVID approximately three months after initial infection. These symptoms are highly variable, and the mechanisms inducing them are yet to be understood. We compared plasma cytokine levels from individuals with long-COVID to healthy individuals and found that those with long-COVID had 100% reductions in circulating levels of interferon gamma (IFNγ) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). Additionally, we found significant reductions in levels of IL-6, IL-2, IL-17, IL-13, and IL-4 in individuals with long-COVID. We propose immune exhaustion as the driver of long-COVID, with the complete absence of IFNγ and IL-8 preventing the lungs and other organs from healing after acute infection, and reducing the ability to fight off subsequent infections, both contributing to the myriad of symptoms suffered by those with long-COVID.
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25
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Jegal KH, Yoon J, Kim S, Jang S, Jin YH, Lee JH, Choi SM, Kim TH, Kwon S. Herbal Medicines for Post-Acute Sequelae (Fatigue or Cognitive Dysfunction) of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Phase 2 Pilot Clinical Study Protocol. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 10:healthcare10101839. [PMID: 36292286 PMCID: PMC9601660 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10101839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term sequelae refer to persistent symptoms or signs for >6 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The most common symptoms of sequelae are fatigue and neuropsychiatric symptoms (concentration difficulty, amnesia, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, and depression). However, approved treatments have not been fully established. Herbal medicines are administered for 12 weeks to patients who continuously complain of fatigue or cognitive dysfunction for >4 weeks that only occurred after COVID-19 diagnoses. Based on the Korean Medicine syndrome differentiation diagnosis, patients with fatigue will be administered Bojungikgi-tang or Kyungok-go, whereas those with cognitive dysfunction will be administered Cheonwangbosim-dan. Results could support evidence that herbal medicines may mitigate fatigue and cognitive dysfunction caused by COVID-19. Furthermore, by investigating the effects of herbal medicines on changes in metabolite and immune response due to COVID-19, which may be responsible for sequelae, the potential of herbal medicines as one of the therapeutic interventions for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be evaluated. Therefore, the effects of herbal medicine on fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sequelae due to COVID-19 will be elucidated in this study to provide an insight into the preparation of medical management for the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Hwan Jegal
- Digital Health Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
- College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Gyeongsan 38610, Korea
| | - Jiwon Yoon
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
| | - Sanghyun Kim
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
| | - Soobin Jang
- College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Gyeongsan 38610, Korea
| | - Young-Hee Jin
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daegu 41062, Korea
| | - Jun-Hwan Lee
- Korean Medicine Science Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
- UST KIOM School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Sun-Mi Choi
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
- UST KIOM School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Korea
| | - Tae Hun Kim
- Korean Medicine Clinical Trial Center, Korean Medicine Hospital, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
- Correspondence: (T.H.K.); (S.K.); Tel.: +82-2-958-9088 (T.H.K.); +82-42-868-9675 (S.K.)
| | - Sunoh Kwon
- UST KIOM School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Korea
- Korean Medicine Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon 34054, Korea
- Correspondence: (T.H.K.); (S.K.); Tel.: +82-2-958-9088 (T.H.K.); +82-42-868-9675 (S.K.)
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26
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Lv Y, Zhang T, Cai J, Huang C, Zhan S, Liu J. Bioinformatics and systems biology approach to identify the pathogenetic link of Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Front Immunol 2022; 13:952987. [PMID: 36189286 PMCID: PMC9524193 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.952987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a global crisis. Although many people recover from COVID-19 infection, they are likely to develop persistent symptoms similar to those of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) after discharge. Those constellations of symptoms persist for months after infection, called Long COVID, which may lead to considerable financial burden and healthcare challenges. However, the mechanisms underlying Long COVID and ME/CFS remain unclear. Methods We collected the genes associated with Long COVID and ME/CFS in databases by restricted screening conditions and clinical sample datasets with limited filters. The common genes for Long COVID and ME/CFS were finally obtained by taking the intersection. We performed several advanced bioinformatics analyses based on common genes, including gene ontology and pathway enrichment analyses, protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis, transcription factor (TF)–gene interaction network analysis, transcription factor–miRNA co-regulatory network analysis, and candidate drug analysis prediction. Results We found nine common genes between Long COVID and ME/CFS and gained a piece of detailed information on their biological functions and signaling pathways through enrichment analysis. Five hub proteins (IL-6, IL-1B, CD8A, TP53, and CXCL8) were collected by the PPI network. The TF–gene and TF–miRNA coregulatory networks were demonstrated by NetworkAnalyst. In the end, 10 potential chemical compounds were predicted. Conclusion This study revealed common gene interaction networks of Long COVID and ME/CFS and predicted potential therapeutic drugs for clinical practice. Our findings help to identify the potential biological mechanism between Long COVID and ME/CFS. However, more laboratory and multicenter evidence is required to explore greater mechanistic insight before clinical application in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongbiao Lv
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tian Zhang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junxiang Cai
- Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chushuan Huang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaofeng Zhan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianbo Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Jianbo Liu,
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27
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van Eeden C, Osman MS, Cohen Tervaert JW. Fatigue in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and systemic sclerosis (SSc): similarities with Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). A critical review of the literature. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2022; 18:1049-1070. [PMID: 36045606 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2022.2116002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Persistent debilitating fatigue is a frequent complaint in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Fatigue is, however, frequently overlooked in the clinic, and patients who successfully achieve remission of their disease, often still have a lowered quality of life due to its persistence. How similar is this fatigue to Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), what is this fatigue associated with, and what tools/approaches (if any), have resulted in the improvement of fatigue in these patients is poorly defined. AREAS COVERED Similarities between the pathophysiology of ME/CFS, systemic sclerosis (SSc) and primary systemic vasculitides (PSV) are discussed, followed by an in-depth review of the prevalence and correlates of fatigue in these diseases. The authors reviewed literature from MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, Embase, and CINAHL. EXPERT OPINION Persistent fatigue is a prominent feature in SARDs and may not be associated with components commonly associated with disease activity and/or progression. Immune and metabolic commonalities exist between ME/CFS, SSc, and PSVs - suggesting that common pathways inherent to the diseases and fatigue may be present. We suggest that patients with features of ME/CFS need to be identified by treating physicians, as they may require alternative approaches to therapy to improve their quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charmaine van Eeden
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mohammed S Osman
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jan Willem Cohen Tervaert
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,School for Mental Health and Neurosciences (MHeNs), Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
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28
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Jason LA, Conroy KE, Furst J, Vasan K, Katz BZ. Pre-illness data reveals differences in multiple metabolites and metabolic pathways in those who do and do not recover from infectious mononucleosis. Mol Omics 2022; 18:662-665. [PMID: 35640165 PMCID: PMC10403250 DOI: 10.1039/d2mo00124a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic pathways related to energy production, amino acids, nucleotides, nitrogen, lipids, and neurotransmitters in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may contribute to the pathophysiology of ME/CFS. 4501 Northwestern University college students were enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal study. We collected data before illness, during infectious mononucleosis (IM), and at a 6 month follow-up for those who recovered (N = 18) versus those who went on to develop ME/CFS 6 months later (N = 18). Examining pre-illness blood samples, we found significant detectable metabolite differences between participants fated to develop severe ME/CFS following IM versus recovered controls. We identified glutathione metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and the TCA cycle (among others) as potentially dysregulated pathways. The pathways that differed between cases and controls are essential for proliferating cells, particularly during a pro-inflammatory immune response. Performing a series of binary logistic regressions using a leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV), our models correctly classified the severe ME/CFS group and recovered controls with an accuracy of 97.2%, sensitivity of 94.4%, and specificity of 100.0%. These changes are consistent with the elevations in pro-inflammatory cytokines that we have reported for patients fated to develop severe ME/CFS 6 months after IM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Karthik Vasan
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ben Z Katz
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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29
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Metabolomic Evidence for Peroxisomal Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147906. [PMID: 35887252 PMCID: PMC9320121 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic and debilitating disease characterized by unexplained physical fatigue, cognitive and sensory dysfunction, sleeping disturbances, orthostatic intolerance, and gastrointestinal problems. People with ME/CFS often report a prodrome consistent with infections. Using regression, Bayesian and enrichment analyses, we conducted targeted and untargeted metabolomic analysis of plasma from 106 ME/CFS cases and 91 frequency-matched healthy controls. Subjects in the ME/CFS group had significantly decreased levels of plasmalogens and phospholipid ethers (p < 0.001), phosphatidylcholines (p < 0.001) and sphingomyelins (p < 0.001), and elevated levels of dicarboxylic acids (p = 0.013). Using machine learning algorithms, we were able to differentiate ME/CFS or subgroups of ME/CFS from controls with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values up to 0.873. Our findings provide the first metabolomic evidence of peroxisomal dysfunction, and are consistent with dysregulation of lipid remodeling and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. These findings, if validated in other cohorts, could provide new insights into the pathogenesis of ME/CFS and highlight the potential use of the plasma metabolome as a source of biomarkers for the disease.
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30
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Bai J, Withycombe J, Eldridge RC. Metabolic Pathways Associated With Psychoneurological Symptoms in Children With Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy. Biol Res Nurs 2022; 24:281-293. [PMID: 35285272 PMCID: PMC9343884 DOI: 10.1177/10998004211069619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy experience a cluster of psychoneurological symptoms (PNS), including pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Metabolomics is promising to differentiate metabolic pathways associated with the PNS cluster. OBJECTIVES Identify metabolic pathways associated with the PNS cluster in children with cancer before and after chemotherapy. METHODS Pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Pediatric PROMIS scales. T-scores were computed and divided dichotomously by a cutoff point of 50; the PNS cluster was a sum of the four symptoms ranging from 0 (all T-scores <50) to 4 (all T-scores ≥50). Serum metabolites were processed using liquid chromatography mass-spectrometry untargeted metabolomics approach. Linear regression models examined metabolites associated with the PNS cluster. Metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was performed. RESULTS Participant demographics (n = 40) were 55% female, 60% white, 62.5% aged 13-19 years, and 62.5% diagnoses of Hodgkin's lymphoma and B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. Among 9276 unique metabolic features, 454 were associated with pain, 281 with fatigue, 596 with anxiety, 551 with depressive symptoms, and 300 with the PNS cluster across one chemotherapy cycle. Fatty acids pathways were associated with pain: de novo fatty acid biosynthesis (p < .001), fatty acid metabolism (p = .001), fatty acid activation (p = .004), and omega-3 fatty acid metabolism (p = .009). Tryptophan amino acid pathway was associated with fatigue (p < .001), anxiety (p = .015), and the PNS cluster (p = .037). Carnitine shuttle was associated with the PNS cluster (p = .015). CONCLUSION Fatty acids and amino acids pathways were associated with PNS in children undergoing chemotherapy. These findings require further investigation in a larger sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbing Bai
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Ronald C. Eldridge
- Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Cash A, Kaufman DL. Oxaloacetate Treatment For Mental And Physical Fatigue In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long-COVID fatigue patients: a non-randomized controlled clinical trial. J Transl Med 2022; 20:295. [PMID: 35764955 PMCID: PMC9238249 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03488-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is no approved pharmaceutical intervention for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Fatigue in these patients can last for decades. Long COVID may continue to ME/CFS, and currently, it is estimated that up to 20 million Americans have significant symptoms after COVID, and the most common symptom is fatigue. Anhydrous Enol-Oxaloacetate, (AEO) a nutritional supplement, has been anecdotally reported to relieve physical and mental fatigue and is dimished in ME/CFS patients. Here, we examine the use of higher dosage AEO as a medical food to relieve pathological fatigue. METHODS ME/CFS and Long-COVID patients were enrolled in an open label dose escalating "Proof of Concept" non-randomized controlled clinical trial with 500 mg AEO capsules. Control was provided by a historical ME/CFS fatigue trial and supporting meta-analysis study, which showed average improvement with oral placebo using the Chalder Scale of 5.9% improvement from baseline. At baseline, 73.7% of the ME/CFS patients were women, average age was 47 and length of ME/CFS from diagnosis was 8.9 years. The Long-COVID patients were a random group that responded to social media advertising (Face Book) with symptoms for at least 6 months. ME/CFS patients were given separate doses of 500 mg BID (N = 23), 1,000 mg BID (N = 29) and 1000 mg TID (N = 24) AEO for six weeks. Long COVID patients were given 500 mg AEO BID (N = 22) and 1000 mg AEO (N = 21), again over a six-week period. The main outcome measure was to compare baseline scoring with results at 6 weeks with the Chalder Fatigue Score (Likert Scoring) versus historical placebo. The hypothesis being tested was formulated prior to data collection. RESULTS 76 ME/CFS patients (73.7% women, median age of 47) showed an average reduction in fatigue at 6 weeks as measured by the "Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire" of 22.5% to 27.9% from baseline (P < 0.005) (Likert scoring). Both physical and mental fatigue were significantly improved over baseline and historical placebo. Fatigue amelioration in ME/CFS patients increased in a dose dependent manner from 21.7% for 500 mg BID to 27.6% for 1000 mg Oxaloacetate BID to 33.3% for 1000 mg TID. Long COVID patients' fatigue was significantly reduced by up to 46.8% in 6-weeks. CONCLUSIONS Significant reductions in physical and metal fatigue for ME/CFS and Long-COVID patients were seen after 6 weeks of treatment. As there has been little progress in providing fatigue relief for the millions of ME/CFS and Long COVID patients, anhydrous enol oxaloacetate may bridge this important medical need. Further study of oxaloacetate supplementation for the treatment of ME/CFS and Long COVID is warranted. Trial Registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04592354 Registered October 19, 2020. 1,000 mg BID Normalized Fatigue Data for Baseline, 2-weeks and 6-weeks evaluated by 3 Validated Fatigue Scoring Questionnaires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Cash
- Terra Biological LLC, 3830 Valley Centre Drive, Ste 705 PMB 561, San Diego, CA, USA.
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Sepúlveda N, Malato J, Sotzny F, Grabowska AD, Fonseca A, Cordeiro C, Graça L, Biecek P, Behrends U, Mautner J, Westermeier F, Lacerda EM, Scheibenbogen C. Revisiting IgG Antibody Reactivity to Epstein-Barr Virus in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Its Potential Application to Disease Diagnosis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:921101. [PMID: 35814774 PMCID: PMC9263839 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.921101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) are often at the disease onset of patients suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). However, serological analyses of these infections remain inconclusive when comparing patients with healthy controls (HCs). In particular, it is unclear if certain EBV-derived antigens eliciting antibody responses have a biomarker potential for disease diagnosis. With this purpose, we re-analyzed a previously published microarray data on the IgG antibody responses against 3,054 EBV-related antigens in 92 patients with ME/CFS and 50 HCs. This re-analysis consisted of constructing different regression models for binary outcomes with the ability to classify patients and HCs. In these models, we tested for a possible interaction of different antibodies with age and gender. When analyzing the whole data set, there were no antibody responses that could distinguish patients from healthy controls. A similar finding was obtained when comparing patients with non-infectious or unknown disease trigger with healthy controls. However, when data analysis was restricted to the comparison between HCs and patients with a putative infection at their disease onset, we could identify stronger antibody responses against two candidate antigens (EBNA4_0529 and EBNA6_0070). Using antibody responses to these two antigens together with age and gender, the final classification model had an estimated sensitivity and specificity of 0.833 and 0.720, respectively. This reliable case-control discrimination suggested the use of the antibody levels related to these candidate viral epitopes as biomarkers for disease diagnosis in this subgroup of patients. To confirm this finding, a follow-up study will be conducted in a separate cohort of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Sepúlveda
- Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
- CEAUL – Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Nuno Sepúlveda
| | - João Malato
- CEAUL – Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Franziska Sotzny
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna D. Grabowska
- Department of Biophysics, Physiology, and Pathophysiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - André Fonseca
- CEAUL – Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Clara Cordeiro
- CEAUL – Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Luís Graça
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Przemyslaw Biecek
- Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Uta Behrends
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Childrens' Hospital, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Josef Mautner
- Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Childrens' Hospital, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Francisco Westermeier
- Department of Health Studies, Institute of Biomedical Science, FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria
- Centro Integrativo de Biología y Química Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eliana M. Lacerda
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Immunology, Berlin, Germany
- Carmen Scheibenbogen
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Suvannapruk W, Edney MK, Kim DH, Scurr DJ, Ghaemmaghami AM, Alexander MR. Single-Cell Metabolic Profiling of Macrophages Using 3D OrbiSIMS: Correlations with Phenotype. Anal Chem 2022; 94:9389-9398. [PMID: 35713879 PMCID: PMC9260720 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c01375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Macrophages are important
immune cells that respond to environmental
cues acquiring a range of activation statuses represented by pro-inflammatory
(M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes at each end of their spectrum.
Characterizing the metabolic signature (metabolic profiling) of different
macrophage subsets is a powerful tool to understand the response of
the human immune system to different stimuli. Here, the recently developed
3D OrbiSIMS instrument is applied to yield useful insight into the
metabolome from individual cells after in vitro differentiation of
macrophages into naïve, M1, and M2 phenotypes using different
cytokines. This analysis strategy not only requires more than 6 orders
of magnitude less sample than traditional mass spectrometry approaches
but also allows the study of cell-to-cell variance. Characteristic
metabolites in macrophage subsets are identified using a targeted
lipid and data-driven multivariate approach highlighting amino acids
and other small molecules. The diamino acids alanylasparagine and
lipid sphingomyelin SM(d18/16:0) are uniquely found in M1 macrophages,
while pyridine and pyrimidine are observed at increased intensity
in M2 macrophages, findings which link to known biological pathways.
The first demonstration of this capability illustrates the great potential
of direct cell analysis for in situ metabolite profiling with the
3D OrbiSIMS to probe functional phenotype at the single-cell level
using molecular signatures and to understand the response of the human
body to implanted devices and immune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waraporn Suvannapruk
- Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Max K Edney
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Dong-Hyun Kim
- Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - David J Scurr
- Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Amir M Ghaemmaghami
- Immunology & Immuno-bioengineering Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Morgan R Alexander
- Advanced Materials and Healthcare Technologies Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
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O’Neal AJ, Glass KA, Emig CJ, Vitug AA, Henry SJ, Shungu DC, Mao X, Levine SM, Hanson MR. Survey of Anti-Pathogen Antibody Levels in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Proteomes 2022; 10:proteomes10020021. [PMID: 35736801 PMCID: PMC9228258 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes10020021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious pathogens are implicated in the etiology of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) because of the occurrence of outbreaks of the disease. While a number of different infectious agents have been associated with the onset of ME/CFS, the identity of a specific organism has been difficult to determine in individual cases. The aim of our study is to survey ME/CFS subjects for evidence of an infectious trigger and/or evidence of immune dysregulation via serological testing of plasma samples for antibodies to 122 different pathogen antigens. Immune profiles were compared to age-, sex-, and BMI-matched controls to provide a basis for comparison. Antibody levels to individual antigens surveyed in this study do not implicate any one of the pathogens in ME/CFS, nor do they rule out common pathogens that frequently infect the US population. However, our results revealed sex-based differences in steady-state humoral immunity, both within the ME/CFS cohort and when compared to trends seen in the healthy control cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. O’Neal
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; (A.J.O.); (K.A.G.); (S.M.L.)
| | - Katherine A. Glass
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; (A.J.O.); (K.A.G.); (S.M.L.)
| | - Christopher J. Emig
- Augmenta Bioworks, Inc., Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; (C.J.E.); (A.A.V.); (S.J.H.)
| | - Adela A. Vitug
- Augmenta Bioworks, Inc., Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; (C.J.E.); (A.A.V.); (S.J.H.)
| | - Steven J. Henry
- Augmenta Bioworks, Inc., Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; (C.J.E.); (A.A.V.); (S.J.H.)
| | - Dikoma C. Shungu
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA; (D.C.S.); (X.M.)
| | - Xiangling Mao
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA; (D.C.S.); (X.M.)
| | - Susan M. Levine
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; (A.J.O.); (K.A.G.); (S.M.L.)
| | - Maureen R. Hanson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; (A.J.O.); (K.A.G.); (S.M.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Tate W, Walker M, Sweetman E, Helliwell A, Peppercorn K, Edgar C, Blair A, Chatterjee A. Molecular Mechanisms of Neuroinflammation in ME/CFS and Long COVID to Sustain Disease and Promote Relapses. Front Neurol 2022; 13:877772. [PMID: 35693009 PMCID: PMC9174654 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.877772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disease now well-documented as having arisen commonly from a viral infection, but also from other external stressors, like exposure to agricultural chemicals, other types of infection, surgery, or other severe stress events. Research has shown these events produce a systemic molecular inflammatory response and chronic immune activation and dysregulation. What has been more difficult to establish is the hierarchy of the physiological responses that give rise to the myriad of symptoms that ME/CFS patients experience, and why they do not resolve and are generally life-long. The severity of the symptoms frequently fluctuates through relapse recovery periods, with brain-centered symptoms of neuroinflammation, loss of homeostatic control, "brain fog" affecting cognitive ability, lack of refreshing sleep, and poor response to even small stresses. How these brain effects develop with ME/CFS from the initiating external effector, whether virus or other cause, is poorly understood and that is what our paper aims to address. We propose the hypothesis that following the initial stressor event, the subsequent systemic pathology moves to the brain via neurovascular pathways or through a dysfunctional blood-brain barrier (BBB), resulting in chronic neuroinflammation and leading to a sustained illness with chronic relapse recovery cycles. Signaling through recognized pathways from the brain back to body physiology is likely part of the process by which the illness cycle in the peripheral system is sustained and why healing does not occur. By contrast, Long COVID (Post-COVID-19 condition) is a very recent ME/CFS-like illness arising from the single pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2. We believe the ME/CFS-like ongoing effects of Long COVID are arising by very similar mechanisms involving neuroinflammation, but likely with some unique signaling, resulting from the pathology of the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. The fact that there are very similar symptoms in both ongoing diseases, despite the diversity in the nature of the initial stressors, supports the concept of a similar dysfunctional CNS component common to both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Tate
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Max Walker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Eiren Sweetman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Amber Helliwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Katie Peppercorn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Christina Edgar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Anna Blair
- Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Germain A, Giloteaux L, Moore GE, Levine SM, Chia JK, Keller BA, Stevens J, Franconi CJ, Mao X, Shungu DC, Grimson A, Hanson MR. Plasma metabolomics reveals disrupted response and recovery following maximal exercise in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e157621. [PMID: 35358096 PMCID: PMC9090259 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.157621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a hallmark symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We monitored the evolution of 1157 plasma metabolites in 60 ME/CFS (45 female, 15 male) and 45 matched healthy control participants (30 female, 15 male) before and after 2 maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) challenges separated by 24 hours, with the intent of provoking PEM in patients. Four time points allowed exploration of the metabolic response to maximal energy-producing capacity and the recovery pattern of participants with ME/CFS compared with the healthy control group. Baseline comparison identified several significantly different metabolites, along with an enriched percentage of yet-to-be identified compounds. Additionally, temporal measures demonstrated an increased metabolic disparity between cohorts, including unknown metabolites. The effects of exertion in the ME/CFS cohort predominantly highlighted lipid-related as well as energy-related pathways and chemical structure clusters, which were disparately affected by the first and second exercise sessions. The 24-hour recovery period was distinct in the ME/CFS cohort, with over a quarter of the identified pathways statistically different from the controls. The pathways that are uniquely different 24 hours after an exercise challenge provide clues to metabolic disruptions that lead to PEM. Numerous altered pathways were observed to depend on glutamate metabolism, a crucial component of the homeostasis of many organs in the body, including the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Germain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Ludovic Giloteaux
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Geoffrey E. Moore
- Department of Exercise Science and Athletic Training, Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Susan M. Levine
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Betsy A. Keller
- Department of Exercise Science and Athletic Training, Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | | | - Carl J. Franconi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Xiangling Mao
- Department of Neuroradiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Dikoma C. Shungu
- Department of Neuroradiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrew Grimson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Maureen R. Hanson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Hirano SI, Ichikawa Y, Sato B, Takefuji Y, Satoh F. Molecular Hydrogen as a Medical Gas for the Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Possible Efficacy Based on a Literature Review. Front Neurol 2022; 13:841310. [PMID: 35493814 PMCID: PMC9042428 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.841310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disorder that is characterized by fatigue that persists for more than 6 months, weakness, sleep disturbances, and cognitive dysfunction. There are multiple possible etiologies for ME/CFS, among which mitochondrial dysfunction plays a major role in abnormal energy metabolism. The potential of many substances for the treatment of ME/CFS has been examined; however, satisfactory outcomes have not yet been achieved. The development of new substances for curative, not symptomatic, treatments is desired. Molecular hydrogen (H2) ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction by scavenging hydroxyl radicals, the most potent oxidant among reactive oxygen species. Animal experiments and clinical trials reported that H2 exerted ameliorative effects on acute and chronic fatigue. Therefore, we conducted a literature review on the mechanism by which H2 improves acute and chronic fatigue in animals and healthy people and showed that the attenuation of mitochondrial dysfunction by H2 may be involved in the ameliorative effects. Although further clinical trials are needed to determine the efficacy and mechanism of H2 gas in ME/CFS, our literature review suggested that H2 gas may be an effective medical gas for the treatment of ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ichi Hirano
- Department of Research and Development, MiZ Company Limited, Kamakura, Japan
| | - Yusuke Ichikawa
- Department of Research and Development, MiZ Company Limited, Kamakura, Japan.,MiZ Inc., Newark, CA, United States
| | - Bunpei Sato
- Department of Research and Development, MiZ Company Limited, Kamakura, Japan.,MiZ Inc., Newark, CA, United States
| | - Yoshiyasu Takefuji
- Professor Emeritus, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.,Faculty of Data Science, Musashino University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumitake Satoh
- Department of Research and Development, MiZ Company Limited, Kamakura, Japan.,MiZ Inc., Newark, CA, United States
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Pucino V, Turner JD, Nayar S, Kollert F, Rauz S, Richards A, Higham J, Poveda-Gallego A, Bowman SJ, Barone F, Fisher BA. Sjögren's and non-Sjögren's sicca share a similar symptom burden but with a distinct symptom-associated proteomic signature. RMD Open 2022; 8:e002119. [PMID: 35589331 PMCID: PMC9121491 DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2021-002119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Given the similarity in symptoms between primary Sjogren's syndrome (SjS) and non-SjS sicca syndrome (sicca), we sought to characterise clinical and proteomic predictors of symptoms in both groups in order to better understand disease mechanisms and help guide development of immunomodulatory treatments. These have not, to date, unequivocally improved symptoms in SjS clinical trials. METHODS Serum proteomics was performed using O-link inflammation and cardiovascular II panels. SjS (n=53) fulfilled 2016 ACR/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) criteria whereas sicca (n=60) were anti-Ro negative, displayed objective or subjective dryness, and either had a negative salivary gland biopsy or, in the absence of a biopsy, it was considered that a biopsy result would not change classification status. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify the key predictors of symptoms. Cluster analysis was completed using protein expression values. RESULTS EULAR-Sjögren's-Syndrome-Patient-Reported-Index (ESSPRI), EuroQoL-5 Dimension utility values, and anxiety and depression did not differ between SjS and sicca. Correlations between body mass index (BMI) and ESSPRI were found in sicca and to a lesser extent in SjS. Twenty proteins positively associated with symptoms in sicca but none in SjS. We identified two proteomically defined subgroups in sicca and two in SjS that differed in symptom burden. Within hierarchical clustering of the SjS and sicca pool, the highest symptom burden groups were the least distinct. Levels of adrenomedullin (ADM), soluble CD40 (CD40) and spondin 2 (SPON2) together explained 51% of symptom variability in sicca. ADM was strongly correlated with ESSPRI (spearman's r=0.62; p<0.0001), even in a multivariate model corrected for BMI, age, objective dryness, depression and anxiety scores. CONCLUSIONS Obesity-related metabolic factors may regulate symptoms in sicca. Further work should explore non-inflammatory drivers of high symptom burden in SjS to improve clinical trial outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Pucino
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre and Department of Rheumatology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jason D Turner
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Saba Nayar
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Florian Kollert
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Inselspital University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Saaeha Rauz
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Academic Unit of Ophthalmology, Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, Birmingham, UK
| | - Andrea Richards
- Department of Oral Medicine, Birmingham Dental Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jon Higham
- Department of Oral Medicine, Birmingham Dental Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ana Poveda-Gallego
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Oral Medicine, Birmingham Dental Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Simon J Bowman
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre and Department of Rheumatology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Francesca Barone
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Candel Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Benjamin A Fisher
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre and Department of Rheumatology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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39
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Cook DB, VanRiper S, Dougherty RJ, Lindheimer JB, Falvo MJ, Chen Y, Lin JMS, Unger ER. Cardiopulmonary, metabolic, and perceptual responses during exercise in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): A Multi-site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) sub-study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265315. [PMID: 35290404 PMCID: PMC8923458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cardiopulmonary exercise testing has demonstrated clinical utility in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). However, to what extent exercise responses are independent of, or confounded by, aerobic fitness remains unclear. Purpose To characterize and compare exercise responses in ME/CFS and controls with and without matching for aerobic fitness. Methods As part of the Multi-site Clinical Assessment of ME/CFS (MCAM) study, 403 participants (n = 214 ME/CFS; n = 189 controls), across six ME/CFS clinics, completed ramped cycle ergometry to volitional exhaustion. Metabolic, heart rate (HR), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured. Ventilatory equivalent ( V˙E/V˙O2, V˙E/V˙CO2), metrics of ventilatory efficiency, and chronotropic incompetence (CI) were calculated. Exercise variables were compared using Hedges’ g effect size with 95% confidence intervals. Differences in cardiopulmonary and perceptual features during exercise were analyzed using linear mixed effects models with repeated measures for relative exercise intensity (20–100% peak V˙O2). Subgroup analyses were conducted for 198 participants (99 ME/CFS; 99 controls) matched for age (±5 years) and peak V˙O2 (~1 ml/kg/min-1). Results Ninety percent of tests (n = 194 ME/CFS, n = 169 controls) met standard criteria for peak effort. ME/CFS responses during exercise (20–100% peak V˙O2) were significantly lower for ventilation, breathing frequency, HR, measures of efficiency, and CI and significantly higher for V˙E/V˙O2, V˙E/V˙CO2 and RPE (p<0.05adjusted). For the fitness-matched subgroup, differences remained for breathing frequency, V˙E/V˙O2, V˙E/V˙CO2, and RPE (p<0.05adjusted), and higher tidal volumes were identified for ME/CFS (p<0.05adjusted). Exercise responses at the gas exchange threshold, peak, and for measures of ventilatory efficiency (e.g., V˙E/V˙CO2nadir) were generally reflective of those seen throughout exercise (i.e., 20–100%). Conclusion Compared to fitness-matched controls, cardiopulmonary responses to exercise in ME/CFS are characterized by inefficient exercise ventilation and augmented perception of effort. These data highlight the importance of distinguishing confounding fitness effects to identify responses that may be more specifically associated with ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dane B. Cook
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stephanie VanRiper
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Ryan J. Dougherty
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jacob B. Lindheimer
- William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Falvo
- War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ, United States of America
- New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| | - Yang Chen
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology/Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jin-Mann S. Lin
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology/Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth R. Unger
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/ Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology/Chronic Viral Diseases Branch, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
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Sleight AG, Crowder SL, Skarbinski J, Coen P, Parker NH, Hoogland AI, Gonzalez BD, Playdon MC, Cole S, Ose J, Murayama Y, Siegel EM, Figueiredo JC, Jim HSL. A New Approach to Understanding Cancer-Related Fatigue: Leveraging the 3P Model to Facilitate Risk Prediction and Clinical Care. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14081982. [PMID: 35454890 PMCID: PMC9027717 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14081982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary For the growing number of cancer survivors worldwide, fatigue presents a major hurdle to function and quality of life. Treatment options for cancer-related fatigue are still emerging, and our current understanding of its etiology is limited. In this paper, we describe a new application of a comprehensive model for cancer-related fatigue: the predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating (3P) factors model. We propose that the 3P model may be leveraged—particularly using metabolomics, the microbiome, and inflammation in conjunction with behavioral science—to better understand the pathophysiology of cancer-related fatigue. Abstract A major gap impeding development of new treatments for cancer-related fatigue is an inadequate understanding of the complex biological, clinical, demographic, and lifestyle mechanisms underlying fatigue. In this paper, we describe a new application of a comprehensive model for cancer-related fatigue: the predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating (3P) factors model. This model framework outlined herein, which incorporates the emerging field of metabolomics, may help to frame a more in-depth analysis of the etiology of cancer-related fatigue as well as a broader and more personalized set of approaches to the clinical treatment of fatigue in oncology care. Included within this review paper is an in-depth description of the proposed biological mechanisms of cancer-related fatigue, as well as a presentation of the 3P model’s application to this phenomenon. We conclude that a clinical focus on organization risk stratification and treatment around the 3P model may be warranted, and future research may benefit from expanding the 3P model to understand fatigue not only in oncology, but also across a variety of chronic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alix G. Sleight
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
- Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Sylvia L. Crowder
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33601, USA; (S.L.C.); (N.H.P.); (A.I.H.); (B.D.G.)
| | - Jacek Skarbinski
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA 94501, USA;
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Oakland Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA 94501, USA
- Physician Researcher Program, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA 94501, USA
- The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA 94501, USA
| | - Paul Coen
- AdventHealth Orlando, Translational Research Institute, Orlando, FL 32804, USA;
| | - Nathan H. Parker
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33601, USA; (S.L.C.); (N.H.P.); (A.I.H.); (B.D.G.)
| | - Aasha I. Hoogland
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33601, USA; (S.L.C.); (N.H.P.); (A.I.H.); (B.D.G.)
| | - Brian D. Gonzalez
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33601, USA; (S.L.C.); (N.H.P.); (A.I.H.); (B.D.G.)
| | - Mary C. Playdon
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84044, USA;
- Department of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84044, USA
| | - Steven Cole
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences and Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90001, USA;
| | - Jennifer Ose
- Department of Population Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84044, USA;
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84044, USA
| | - Yuichi Murayama
- Department of Medicine, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (Y.M.); (J.C.F.)
| | - Erin M. Siegel
- Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33601, USA;
| | - Jane C. Figueiredo
- Department of Medicine, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (Y.M.); (J.C.F.)
| | - Heather S. L. Jim
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33601, USA; (S.L.C.); (N.H.P.); (A.I.H.); (B.D.G.)
- Correspondence:
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Crowder SL, Playdon MC, Gudenkauf LM, Ose J, Gigic B, Greathouse L, Peoples AR, Sleight AG, Jim HSL, Figueiredo JC. A Molecular Approach to Understanding the Role of Diet in Cancer-Related Fatigue: Challenges and Future Opportunities. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14071496. [PMID: 35406105 PMCID: PMC9003400 DOI: 10.3390/nu14071496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is considered one of the most frequent and distressing symptoms for cancer survivors. Despite its high prevalence, factors that predispose, precipitate, and perpetuate CRF are poorly understood. Emerging research focuses on cancer and treatment-related nutritional complications, changes in body composition, and nutritional deficiencies that can compound CRF. Nutritional metabolomics, the novel study of diet-related metabolites in cells, tissues, and biofluids, offers a promising tool to further address these research gaps. In this position paper, we examine CRF risk factors, summarize metabolomics studies of CRF, outline dietary recommendations for the prevention and management of CRF in cancer survivorship, and identify knowledge gaps and challenges in applying nutritional metabolomics to understand dietary contributions to CRF over the cancer survivorship trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia L. Crowder
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33617, USA; (S.L.C.); (L.M.G.); (H.S.L.J.)
| | - Mary C. Playdon
- Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Lisa M. Gudenkauf
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33617, USA; (S.L.C.); (L.M.G.); (H.S.L.J.)
| | - Jennifer Ose
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; (J.O.); (A.R.P.)
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Biljana Gigic
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69047 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Leigh Greathouse
- Human Science and Design, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA;
| | - Anita R. Peoples
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; (J.O.); (A.R.P.)
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Alix G. Sleight
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
- Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Heather S. L. Jim
- Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL 33617, USA; (S.L.C.); (L.M.G.); (H.S.L.J.)
| | - Jane C. Figueiredo
- Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Department of Medicine, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Correspondence:
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Bertinat R, Villalobos-Labra R, Hofmann L, Blauensteiner J, Sepúlveda N, Westermeier F. Decreased NO production in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from ME/CFS patients. Vascul Pharmacol 2022; 143:106953. [PMID: 35074481 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2022.106953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease characterized by severe and persistent fatigue. Along with clinical studies showing endothelial dysfunction (ED) in a subset of ME/CFS patients, we have recently reported altered ED-related microRNAs in plasma from affected individuals. Inadequate nitric oxide (NO), mainly produced by the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in endothelial cells (ECs), is a major cause of ED. In this study, we hypothesized that plasma from that cohort of ME/CFS patients induces eNOS-related ED in vitro. To test this, we cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the presence of plasma from either ME/CFS patients (ME/CFS-plasma, n = 11) or healthy controls (HC-plasma, n = 12). Then, we measured the NO production in the absence and presence of tyrosine kinase and G protein-coupled receptors agonists (TKRs and GPCRs, respectively), well-known to activate eNOS in ECs. Our data showed that HUVECs incubated with ME/CFS-plasma produced less NO either in the absence or presence of eNOS activators compared to ones in presence of HC-plasma. Also, the NO production elicited by bradykinin, histamine, and acetylcholine (GPCRs agonists) was more affected than the one triggered by insulin (TKR agonist). Finally, inhibitory eNOS phosphorylation at Thr495 was higher in HUVECs treated with ME/CFS-plasma compared to the same treatment with HC-plasma. In conclusion, this study in vitro shows a decreased NO production in HUVECs exposed to plasma from ME/CFS patients, suggesting an unreported role of eNOS in the pathophysiology of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Bertinat
- Centro de Microscopía Avanzada, CMA-BIO BIO, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Roberto Villalobos-Labra
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Heritage Medical Research Centre (HMRC), University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Lidija Hofmann
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Department of Health Studies, FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - Jennifer Blauensteiner
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Department of Health Studies, FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - Nuno Sepúlveda
- Faculty of Mathematics and Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland; CEAUL - Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Francisco Westermeier
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Department of Health Studies, FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria; Centro Integrativo de Biología y Química Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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Stanculescu D, Bergquist J. Perspective: Drawing on Findings From Critical Illness to Explain Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:818728. [PMID: 35345768 PMCID: PMC8957276 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.818728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We propose an initial explanation for how myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) could originate and perpetuate by drawing on findings from critical illness research. Specifically, we combine emerging findings regarding (a) hypoperfusion and endotheliopathy, and (b) intestinal injury in these illnesses with our previously published hypothesis about the role of (c) pituitary suppression, and (d) low thyroid hormone function associated with redox imbalance in ME/CFS. Moreover, we describe interlinkages between these pathophysiological mechanisms as well as “vicious cycles” involving cytokines and inflammation that may contribute to explain the chronic nature of these illnesses. This paper summarizes and expands on our previous publications about the relevance of findings from critical illness for ME/CFS. New knowledge on diagnostics, prognostics and treatment strategies could be gained through active collaboration between critical illness and ME/CFS researchers, which could lead to improved outcomes for both conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonas Bergquist
- Division of Analytical Chemistry and Neurochemistry, Department of Chemistry - Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Collaborative Research Centre at Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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44
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Jasbi P, Mohr AE, Shi X, Mahmood T, Zhu Q, Bruening M, Gu H, Whisner C. Microbiome and metabolome profiles of high screen time in a cohort of healthy college students. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3452. [PMID: 35236903 PMCID: PMC8891328 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07381-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
As screens are increasingly integrated into every facet of modern life, there is growing concern over the potential effects of high screen time. Previous studies have largely utilized self-report data on mood and behavioral aspects of screen time, and no molecular theory has yet been developed. In this study, we explored the fecal microbiome and metabolome of a diverse group of 60 college students, classified by high (≥ 75 min/day) or low (0–75 min/day) self-reported screen time using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and targeted detection of short-chain fatty acids using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Several key taxa and metabolites were significantly altered between groups and found to be highly co-occurrent. Results of pathway and enzyme enrichment analyses were synthesized to articulate an integrated hypothesis indicating widespread mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant amino acid metabolism. High screen time was also predicted to be significantly associated with type I diabetes, obesity, chronic fatigue syndrome, and various manifestations of inflammatory bowel. This is the first-ever study to report the effects of high screen time at the molecular level, and these results provide a data-driven hypothesis for future experimental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paniz Jasbi
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Alex E Mohr
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Xiaojian Shi
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA.,Systems Biology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tara Mahmood
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA.,Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Qiyun Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Meg Bruening
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Haiwei Gu
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA. .,Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Port St. Lucie, FL, USA.
| | - Corrie Whisner
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA. .,Biodesign Institute Center for Health Through Microbiomes, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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Hernandez-Baixauli J, Abasolo N, Palacios-Jordan H, Foguet-Romero E, Suñol D, Galofré M, Caimari A, Baselga-Escudero L, Del Bas JM, Mulero M. Imbalances in TCA, Short Fatty Acids and One-Carbon Metabolisms as Important Features of Homeostatic Disruption Evidenced by a Multi-Omics Integrative Approach of LPS-Induced Chronic Inflammation in Male Wistar Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052563. [PMID: 35269702 PMCID: PMC8910732 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic inflammation is an important risk factor in a broad variety of physical and mental disorders leading to highly prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, there is a need for a deeper understanding of this condition and its progression to the disease state. For this reason, it is important to define metabolic pathways and complementary biomarkers associated with homeostatic disruption in chronic inflammation. To achieve that, male Wistar rats were subjected to intraperitoneal and intermittent injections with saline solution or increasing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations (0.5, 5 and 7.5 mg/kg) thrice a week for 31 days. Biochemical and inflammatory parameters were measured at the end of the study. To assess the omics profile, GC-qTOF and UHPLC-qTOF were performed to evaluate plasma metabolome; 1H-NMR was used to evaluate urine metabolome; additionally, shotgun metagenomics sequencing was carried out to characterize the cecum microbiome. The chronicity of inflammation in the study was evaluated by the monitoring of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) during the different weeks of the experimental process. At the end of the study, together with the increased levels of MCP-1, levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) along with 8-isoprostanes (an indicative of oxidative stress) were significantly increased (p-value < 0.05). The leading features implicated in the current model were tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates (i.e., alpha-ketoglutarate, aconitic acid, malic acid, fumaric acid and succinic acid); lipids such as specific cholesterol esters (ChoEs), lysophospholipids (LPCs) and phosphatidylcholines (PCs); and glycine, as well as N, N-dimethylglycine, which are related to one-carbon (1C) metabolism. These metabolites point towards mitochondrial metabolism through TCA cycle, β-oxidation of fatty acids and 1C metabolism as interconnected pathways that could reveal the metabolic effects of chronic inflammation induced by LPS administration. These results provide deeper knowledge concerning the impact of chronic inflammation on the disruption of metabolic homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hernandez-Baixauli
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Unitat de Nutrició i Salut, 43204 Reus, Spain; (J.H.-B.); (A.C.); (L.B.-E.)
| | - Nerea Abasolo
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Centre for Omic Sciences (COS), Joint Unit Universitat Rovira i Virgili-EURECAT, 43204 Reus, Spain; (N.A.); (H.P.-J.); (E.F.-R.)
| | - Hector Palacios-Jordan
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Centre for Omic Sciences (COS), Joint Unit Universitat Rovira i Virgili-EURECAT, 43204 Reus, Spain; (N.A.); (H.P.-J.); (E.F.-R.)
| | - Elisabet Foguet-Romero
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Centre for Omic Sciences (COS), Joint Unit Universitat Rovira i Virgili-EURECAT, 43204 Reus, Spain; (N.A.); (H.P.-J.); (E.F.-R.)
| | - David Suñol
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Digital Health, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; (D.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Mar Galofré
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Digital Health, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; (D.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Antoni Caimari
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Unitat de Nutrició i Salut, 43204 Reus, Spain; (J.H.-B.); (A.C.); (L.B.-E.)
| | - Laura Baselga-Escudero
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Unitat de Nutrició i Salut, 43204 Reus, Spain; (J.H.-B.); (A.C.); (L.B.-E.)
| | - Josep M Del Bas
- Eurecat, Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya, Unitat de Nutrició i Salut, 43204 Reus, Spain; (J.H.-B.); (A.C.); (L.B.-E.)
- Correspondence: (J.M.D.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Miquel Mulero
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
- Nutrigenomics Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
- Correspondence: (J.M.D.B.); (M.M.)
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Yang TY, Lin CL, Yao WC, Lio CF, Chiang WP, Lin K, Kuo CF, Tsai SY. How mycobacterium tuberculosis infection could lead to the increasing risks of chronic fatigue syndrome and the potential immunological effects: a population-based retrospective cohort study. J Transl Med 2022; 20:99. [PMID: 35189895 PMCID: PMC8862378 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03301-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been shown to be associated with infections. Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly prevalent infectious disease. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and post-tuberculosis experience similar symptoms. Furthermore, chronic fatigue syndrome and tuberculosis share similar plasma immunosignatures. This study aimed to clarify the risk of chronic fatigue syndrome following the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (MTI), by analyzing the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Methods 7666 patients aged 20 years or older with newly diagnosed Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection during 2000–2011 and 30,663 participants without Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection were identified. Both groups were followed up until the diagnoses of chronic fatigue syndrome were made at the end of 2011. Results The relationship between Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and the subsequent risk of chronic fatigue syndrome was estimated through Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, with the incidence density rates being 3.04 and 3.69 per 1000 person‐years among the non‐Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection populations, respectively (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.23, with 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.47). In the stratified analysis, the Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection group were consistently associated with a higher risk of chronic fatigue syndrome in the male sex (HR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.02–1.58) and age group of ≥ 65 years old (HR = 2.50, 95% CI 1.86–3.38). Conclusions The data from this population‐based retrospective cohort study revealed that Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is associated with an elevated risk of subsequent chronic fatigue syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tse-Yen Yang
- Molecular and Genomic Epidemiology Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City, 404, Taiwan.,College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung City, 404, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Li Lin
- College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung City, 404, Taiwan.,Management Office for Health Data, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City, 404, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Cheng Yao
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Min-Sheng General Hospital, Tao-Yuan City, 330, Taiwan
| | - Chon-Fu Lio
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, 104, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Po Chiang
- Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, 252, Taiwan
| | - Kuan Lin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, 104, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Feng Kuo
- Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, 252, Taiwan.,Institute of Infectious Disease, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, 104, Taiwan
| | - Shin-Yi Tsai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei City, 104, Taiwan. .,Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, 252, Taiwan. .,Graduate Institute of Long-Term Care, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, 252, Taiwan. .,Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, 252, Taiwan. .,Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
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47
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König RS, Albrich WC, Kahlert CR, Bahr LS, Löber U, Vernazza P, Scheibenbogen C, Forslund SK. The Gut Microbiome in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Front Immunol 2022; 12:628741. [PMID: 35046929 PMCID: PMC8761622 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.628741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a neglected, debilitating multi-systemic disease without diagnostic marker or therapy. Despite evidence for neurological, immunological, infectious, muscular and endocrine pathophysiological abnormalities, the etiology and a clear pathophysiology remains unclear. The gut microbiome gained much attention in the last decade with manifold implications in health and disease. Here we review the current state of knowledge on the interplay between ME/CFS and the microbiome, to identify potential diagnostic or interventional approaches, and propose areas where further research is needed. We iteratively selected and elaborated on key theories about a correlation between microbiome state and ME/CFS pathology, developing further hypotheses. Based on the literature we hypothesize that antibiotic use throughout life favours an intestinal microbiota composition which might be a risk factor for ME/CFS. Main proposed pathomechanisms include gut dysbiosis, altered gut-brain axis activity, increased gut permeability with concomitant bacterial translocation and reduced levels of short-chain-fatty acids, D-lactic acidosis, an abnormal tryptophan metabolism and low activity of the kynurenine pathway. We review options for microbiome manipulation in ME/CFS patients including probiotic and dietary interventions as well as fecal microbiota transplantations. Beyond increasing gut permeability and bacterial translocation, specific dysbiosis may modify fermentation products, affecting peripheral mitochondria. Considering the gut-brain axis we strongly suspect that the microbiome may contribute to neurocognitive impairments of ME/CFS patients. Further larger studies are needed, above all to clarify whether D-lactic acidosis and early-life antibiotic use may be part of ME/CFS etiology and what role changes in the tryptophan metabolism might play. An association between the gut microbiome and the disease ME/CFS is plausible. As causality remains unclear, we recommend longitudinal studies. Activity levels, bedridden hours and disease progression should be compared to antibiotic exposure, drug intakes and alterations in the composition of the microbiota. The therapeutic potential of fecal microbiota transfer and of targeted dietary interventions should be systematically evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahel S König
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Werner C Albrich
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Christian R Kahlert
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.,Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Lina Samira Bahr
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Löber
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Host-Microbiome Factors in Cardiovascular Disease, Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Pietro Vernazza
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sofia K Forslund
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Joint Cooperation of Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Host-Microbiome Factors in Cardiovascular Disease, Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.,European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Structural and Computational Biology Unit, Heidelberg, Germany
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48
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Wu TY, Khorramshahi T, Taylor LA, Bansal NS, Rodriguez B, Rey IR. Prevalence of Aspergillus-Derived Mycotoxins (Ochratoxin, Aflatoxin, and Gliotoxin) and Their Distribution in the Urinalysis of ME/CFS Patients. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19042052. [PMID: 35206241 PMCID: PMC8872248 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a known complex, multi-organ system disorder with a sudden or subacute onset. ME/CFS occurs most commonly among women between 30 and 50 years of age. The current diagnostic criteria of ME/CFS, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes: profound fatigue and post-exertional malaise (>6 mo) unrelieved by rest, persistent cognitive impairment or orthostatic intolerance, and chronic unrefreshing sleep. Despite reported associations between ME/CFS onset and exposure to infectious agents (viral, bacterial, or fungal), the pathophysiology of ME/CFS remains unknown. In this prevalence study, we investigated the rates of Aspergillus-derived toxin levels, Aflatoxin (AF), Ochratoxin A (OTA), and Gliotoxin (GT), in the urinalysis of 236 ME/CFS patients with a history of chronic exposure to mold (i.e., from water-damaged buildings). Among ME/CFS patients reporting chronic exposure to mold, we found evidence of exposure in 92.4 percent of patients, with OTA being the most prevalent mycotoxin. Mold distributions (OTA, AF, and GT) in the urinalysis all demonstrated right skewness, while the distribution of age of ME/CFS patients diagnosed showed no deviation from normality. This study aims to provide preliminary, epidemiological evidence among ME/CFS patients who were diagnosed in South Florida with a history of exposure to mycotoxins. Based on these findings, we proposed how future control studies should approach investigating the association between chronic mold exposure and the diagnosis of ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Yu Wu
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA; (T.Y.W.); (T.K.); (L.A.T.); (N.S.B.); (B.R.)
| | - Taura Khorramshahi
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA; (T.Y.W.); (T.K.); (L.A.T.); (N.S.B.); (B.R.)
| | - Lindsey A. Taylor
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA; (T.Y.W.); (T.K.); (L.A.T.); (N.S.B.); (B.R.)
| | - Nikita S. Bansal
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA; (T.Y.W.); (T.K.); (L.A.T.); (N.S.B.); (B.R.)
| | - Betsy Rodriguez
- Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA; (T.Y.W.); (T.K.); (L.A.T.); (N.S.B.); (B.R.)
| | - Irma R. Rey
- Institute of Neuro-Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA
- Correspondence:
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49
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Santinelli L, Laghi L, Innocenti GP, Pinacchio C, Vassalini P, Celani L, Lazzaro A, Borrazzo C, Marazzato M, Tarsitani L, Koukopoulos AE, Mastroianni CM, d'Ettorre G, Ceccarelli G. Oral Bacteriotherapy Reduces the Occurrence of Chronic Fatigue in COVID-19 Patients. Front Nutr 2022; 8:756177. [PMID: 35096923 PMCID: PMC8790565 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.756177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Long COVID refers to patients with symptoms as fatigue, “brain fog,” pain, suggesting the chronic involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) in COVID-19. The supplementation with probiotic (OB) would have a positive effect on metabolic homeostasis, negatively impacting the occurrence of symptoms related to the CNS after hospital discharge. On a total of 58 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, 24 (41.4%) received OB during hospitalization (OB+) while 34 (58.6%) taken only the standard treatment (OB–). Serum metabolomic profiling of patients has been performed at both hospital acceptance (T0) and discharge (T1). Six months after discharge, fatigue perceived by participants was assessed by administrating the Fatigue Assessment Scale. 70.7% of participants reported fatigue while 29.3% were negative for such condition. The OB+ group showed a significantly lower proportion of subjects reporting fatigue than the OB– one (p < 0.01). Furthermore, OB+ subjects were characterized by significantly increased concentrations of serum Arginine, Asparagine, Lactate opposite to lower levels of 3-Hydroxyisobutirate than those not treated with probiotics. Our results strongly suggest that in COVID-19, the administration of probiotics during hospitalization may prevent the development of chronic fatigue by impacting key metabolites involved in the utilization of glucose as well as in energy pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Santinelli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Laghi
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Interdepartmental Centre for Agri-Food Industrial Research, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Pinacchio
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Vassalini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Celani
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Lazzaro
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristian Borrazzo
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Marazzato
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Tarsitani
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alexia E Koukopoulos
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio M Mastroianni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella d'Ettorre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ceccarelli
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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50
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O'Boyle S, Nacul L, Nacul FE, Mudie K, Kingdon CC, Cliff JM, Clark TG, Dockrell HM, Lacerda EM. A Natural History of Disease Framework for Improving the Prevention, Management, and Research on Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome and Other Forms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:688159. [PMID: 35155455 PMCID: PMC8835111 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.688159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We propose a framework for the treatment, rehabilitation, and research into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using a natural history of disease approach to outline the distinct disease stages, with an emphasis on cases following infection to provide insights into prevention. Moving away from the method of subtyping patients based on the various phenotypic presentations and instead reframing along the lines of disease progression could help with defining the distinct stages of disease, each of which would benefit from large prospective cohort studies to accurately describe the pathological mechanisms taking place therein. With a better understanding of these mechanisms, management and research can be tailored specifically for each disease stage. Pre-disease and early disease stages call for management strategies that may decrease the risk of long-term morbidity, by focusing on avoidance of further insults, adequate rest to enable recovery, and pacing of activities. Later disease stages require a more holistic and tailored management approach, with treatment-as this becomes available-targeting the alleviation of symptoms and multi-systemic dysfunction. More stringent and standardised use of case definitions in research is critical to improve generalisability of results and to create the strong evidence-based policies for management that are currently lacking in ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shennae O'Boyle
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- UK Health Security Agency, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Nacul
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- B.C. Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Flavio E. Nacul
- Pro-cardiaco Hospital and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Kathleen Mudie
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline C. Kingdon
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline M. Cliff
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Taane G. Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hazel M. Dockrell
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eliana M. Lacerda
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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