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Rodriguez L, Pou C, Lakshmikanth T, Zhang J, Mugabo CH, Wang J, Mikes J, Olin A, Chen Y, Rorbach J, Juto JE, Li TQ, Julin P, Brodin P. Achieving symptom relief in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis by targeting the neuro-immune interface and optimizing disease tolerance. OXFORD OPEN IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 4:iqad003. [PMID: 37255930 PMCID: PMC10148714 DOI: 10.1093/oxfimm/iqad003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) previously also known as chronic fatigue syndrome is a heterogeneous, debilitating syndrome of unknown etiology responsible for long-lasting disability in millions of patients worldwide. The most well-known symptom of ME is post-exertional malaise, but many patients also experience autonomic dysregulation, cranial nerve dysfunction and signs of immune system activation. Many patients also report a sudden onset of disease following an infection. The brainstem is a suspected focal point in ME pathogenesis and patients with structural impairment to the brainstem often show ME-like symptoms. The brainstem is also where the vagus nerve originates, a critical neuro-immune interface and mediator of the inflammatory reflex which regulate systemic inflammation. Here, we report the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial using intranasal mechanical stimulation targeting nerve endings in the nasal cavity, likely from the trigeminal nerve, possibly activating additional centers in the brainstem of ME patients and correlating with a ∼30% reduction in overall symptom scores after 8 weeks of treatment. By performing longitudinal, systems-level monitoring of the blood immune system in these patients, we uncover signs of chronic immune activation in ME, as well as immunological correlates of improvement that center around gut-homing immune cells and reduced inflammation. The mechanisms of symptom relief remain to be determined, but transcriptional analyses suggest an upregulation of disease tolerance mechanisms. We believe that these results are suggestive of ME as a condition explained by a maladaptive disease tolerance response following infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Rodriguez
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17121, Sweden
| | | | | | - Jingdian Zhang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17176, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute Biology of Ageing—Karolinska Institutet Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17176, Sweden
| | | | - Jun Wang
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17121, Sweden
| | - Jaromir Mikes
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17121, Sweden
| | - Axel Olin
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17121, Sweden
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17121, Sweden
| | - Joanna Rorbach
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17176, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute Biology of Ageing—Karolinska Institutet Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17176, Sweden
| | - Jan-Erik Juto
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17177, Sweden
| | - Tie Qiang Li
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17177, Sweden
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics and Nuclear Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna 17176, Sweden
| | - Per Julin
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna 17176, Sweden
- Neurological Rehabilitation Clinic, Stora Sköndal, Sköndal 12864, Sweden
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Zareba W, Thurston SW, Zareba G, Couderc JP, Evans K, Xia J, Watson GE, Strain JJ, McSorley E, Yeates A, Mulhern M, Shamlaye CF, Bovet P, van Wijngaarden E, Davidson PW, Myers GJ. Prenatal and recent methylmercury exposure and heart rate variability in young adults: the Seychelles Child Development Study. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2019; 74:106810. [PMID: 31128243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2019.106810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiologic evidence of an adverse association between exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) from consuming fish and heart rate variability (HRV) is inconclusive. We aimed to evaluate MeHg exposure in relation to HRV parameters in a large cohort of young adults from a high fish consuming population in the Republic of Seychelles. Main Cohort participants in the Seychelles Child Development Study were evaluated at a mean age of 19 years. Prenatal MeHg exposure was determined in maternal hair growing during pregnancy and recent exposure in participant's hair taken at the evaluation. The evaluation consisted of short (~2 h) and long (overnight) Holter recordings obtained in 514 and 203 participants, respectively. Multivariable analyses examined the association of prenatal and recent MeHg exposure (in separate models) with time-domain and frequency-domain HRV parameters in different physiologic circumstances: supine position, standing position, mental stress when undergoing a mathematics test, sleep, and long recording. Prenatal MeHg exposure was not associated with any of the 23 HRV parameters studied after adjustment for multiplicity. The recent MeHg showed a trend toward significance only for few variables in the primary model. However, after additional adjustment for activity levels, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and multiplicity none were significant after a Bonferroni adjustment. In conclusion, prenatal and recent MeHg exposure had no consistent pattern of associations to support the hypothesis that they are adversely associated with heart rate variability in this study population that consumes large amounts of fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wojciech Zareba
- Heart Research, Cardiology Division, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America.
| | - Sally W Thurston
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology; University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Grazyna Zareba
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Jean Philippe Couderc
- Heart Research, Cardiology Division, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Katie Evans
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology; University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Jean Xia
- Heart Research, Cardiology Division, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Gene E Watson
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America; Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - J J Strain
- University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Emeir McSorley
- University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Yeates
- University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Mulhern
- University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | | | - Pascal Bovet
- University Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Edwin van Wijngaarden
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America; Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America; Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Philip W Davidson
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America; Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Gary J Myers
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America; Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States of America
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Fokkens WJ, Pugin B, Bachert C, Bousquet J, Joos G, Louis R, Pilette C, Pfaar O, Price D, Prokopakis E, Scadding G, Strzembosz A, Weilandt A, Seys S, Hellings PW. Rhinology Future Debates 2017 by EUFOREA: Novel treatments and surgical solutions in rhinology. Clin Otolaryngol 2018; 43:1429-1438. [DOI: 10.1111/coa.13184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wytske J. Fokkens
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology; Academic Medical Centre; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Benoit Pugin
- European Forum for Research and Education in allergy and Airway Diseases (EUFOREA); Brussels Belgium
| | - Claus Bachert
- Ghent University Hospital; Ghent Belgium
- Karolinska Institute; Stockholm Sweden
| | - Jean Bousquet
- European Forum for Research and Education in allergy and Airway Diseases (EUFOREA); Brussels Belgium
- INSERM U 1168, VIMA: Ageing and Chronic Diseases Epidemiological and Public Health Approaches, Villejuif; Université Versailles St-Quentin-en-Yvelines, UMR-S 1168; Montigny le Bretonneux France
- MACVIA-France and fondation FMC-VIA-LR; Montpellier France
| | - Guy Joos
- Department of Respiratory Medicine; Ghent University Hospital; Gent Belgium
| | - Renaud Louis
- Department of Pneumology; CHU Liege, GIGA I; University of Liege; Liege Belgium
| | - Charles Pilette
- Department of Pulmonology; Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc and Research Pole of Pneumology, ENT and Dermatology; Université Catholique de Louvain; Brussels Belgium
| | - Oliver Pfaar
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; Medical Faculty Mannheim; Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Heidelberg University; Mannheim Germany
- Center for Rhinology and Allergology; Wiesbaden Germany
| | - David Price
- Centre of Academic Primary Care; University of Aberdeen; Aberdeen UK
- Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute; Singapore Singapore
| | - Emmanuel Prokopakis
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology; University of Crete School of Medicine; Heraklion Greece
| | | | | | | | - Sven Seys
- European Forum for Research and Education in allergy and Airway Diseases (EUFOREA); Brussels Belgium
| | - Peter W. Hellings
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology; Academic Medical Centre; Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Ghent University Hospital; Ghent Belgium
- Clinical Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; University Hospitals Leuven; Leuven Belgium
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Jerling M, Cygankiewicz I, Al-Tawil N, Darpo B, Ljungström A, Zareba W. Effects of intranasal kinetic oscillation stimulation on heart rate variability. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2017; 23. [PMID: 28590043 PMCID: PMC6931765 DOI: 10.1111/anec.12474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Kinetic oscillation stimulation in the nasal cavity (KOS) has been shown to have positive symptomatic effects in subjects with non‐allergic rhinitis and in patients with migraine. Methods To evaluate the effect of KOS on autonomic function, we assessed heart rate variability (HRV) in this small exploratory study in 12 healthy subjects. KOS treatment was performed using a minimally invasive system with a single‐use catheter inserted into the nasal cavity. During treatment, the tip was inflated and oscillated with a mean pressure of 95 millibar and amplitude of the oscillations of 100 millibar at a frequency of 68 Hz. Treatment was given for 15 minutes sequentially on each side. Heart rate variability was assessed during five 30‐minutes periods before, during and immediately after KOS treatment and 3.5 hours thereafter. KOS resulted in a substantial reduction of HRV. Results As compared to baseline recorded during 30 minutes preceding treatment, VLF was reduced by 65%, LF by 55%, the ratio LF/HF by 44%, with somewhat smaller observed effects in the time domain; SDNN and RMSDD were reduced by of 36% and 18%, respectively. Heart rate remained stable during treatment with minimal mean changes from 68 ± 7 bpm before to 68 ± 9 and 69 ± 9 bpm during and after treatment. Reduction of HRV parameters was consistently seen in all subjects, with rapid onset and return towards baseline values during post‐treatment observation periods. Conclusions KOS has an effect on the autonomic balance with pronounced heart‐rate independent reduction on HRV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Iwona Cygankiewicz
- Department of Electrocardiology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Nabil Al-Tawil
- Karolinska Trial Alliance Phase I Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Borje Darpo
- iCardiac Technologies, Inc., Rochester, NY, USA.,Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd's Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Wojciech Zareba
- Heart Research Follow Up Program, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
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