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Arron HE, Marsh BD, Kell DB, Khan MA, Jaeger BR, Pretorius E. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: the biology of a neglected disease. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1386607. [PMID: 38887284 PMCID: PMC11180809 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1386607] [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: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic, debilitating disease characterised by a wide range of symptoms that severely impact all aspects of life. Despite its significant prevalence, ME/CFS remains one of the most understudied and misunderstood conditions in modern medicine. ME/CFS lacks standardised diagnostic criteria owing to variations in both inclusion and exclusion criteria across different diagnostic guidelines, and furthermore, there are currently no effective treatments available. Moving beyond the traditional fragmented perspectives that have limited our understanding and management of the disease, our analysis of current information on ME/CFS represents a significant paradigm shift by synthesising the disease's multifactorial origins into a cohesive model. We discuss how ME/CFS emerges from an intricate web of genetic vulnerabilities and environmental triggers, notably viral infections, leading to a complex series of pathological responses including immune dysregulation, chronic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and metabolic disturbances. This comprehensive model not only advances our understanding of ME/CFS's pathophysiology but also opens new avenues for research and potential therapeutic strategies. By integrating these disparate elements, our work emphasises the necessity of a holistic approach to diagnosing, researching, and treating ME/CFS, urging the scientific community to reconsider the disease's complexity and the multifaceted approach required for its study and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley E. Arron
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Benjamin D. Marsh
- MRCPCH Consultant Paediatric Neurodisability, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas B. Kell
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - M. Asad Khan
- Directorate of Respiratory Medicine, Manchester University Hospitals, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Beate R. Jaeger
- Long COVID department, Clinic St Georg, Bad Aibling, Germany
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Nunes JM, Kell DB, Pretorius E. Herpesvirus Infection of Endothelial Cells as a Systemic Pathological Axis in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Viruses 2024; 16:572. [PMID: 38675914 PMCID: PMC11053605 DOI: 10.3390/v16040572] [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: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding the pathophysiology of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is critical for advancing treatment options. This review explores the novel hypothesis that a herpesvirus infection of endothelial cells (ECs) may underlie ME/CFS symptomatology. We review evidence linking herpesviruses to persistent EC infection and the implications for endothelial dysfunction, encompassing blood flow regulation, coagulation, and cognitive impairment-symptoms consistent with ME/CFS and Long COVID. This paper provides a synthesis of current research on herpesvirus latency and reactivation, detailing the impact on ECs and subsequent systemic complications, including latent modulation and long-term maladaptation. We suggest that the chronicity of ME/CFS symptoms and the multisystemic nature of the disease may be partly attributable to herpesvirus-induced endothelial maladaptation. Our conclusions underscore the necessity for further investigation into the prevalence and load of herpesvirus infection within the ECs of ME/CFS patients. This review offers conceptual advances by proposing an endothelial infection model as a systemic mechanism contributing to ME/CFS, steering future research toward potentially unexplored avenues in understanding and treating this complex syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean M. Nunes
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa;
| | - Douglas B. Kell
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa;
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Building 220, Chemitorvet 200, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa;
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
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Fonseca A, Szysz M, Ly HT, Cordeiro C, Sepúlveda N. IgG Antibody Responses to Epstein-Barr Virus in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Their Effective Potential for Disease Diagnosis and Pathological Antigenic Mimicry. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:161. [PMID: 38256421 PMCID: PMC10820613 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60010161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The diagnosis and pathology of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) remain under debate. However, there is a growing body of evidence for an autoimmune component in ME/CFS caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and other viral infections. Materials and Methods: In this work, we analyzed a large public dataset on the IgG antibodies to 3054 EBV peptides to understand whether these immune responses could help diagnose patients and trigger pathological autoimmunity; we used healthy controls (HCs) as a comparator cohort. Subsequently, we aimed at predicting the disease status of the study participants using a super learner algorithm targeting an accuracy of 85% when splitting data into train and test datasets. Results: When we compared the data of all ME/CFS patients or the data of a subgroup of those patients with non-infectious or unknown disease triggers to the data of the HC, we could not find an antibody-based classifier that would meet the desired accuracy in the test dataset. However, we could identify a 26-antibody classifier that could distinguish ME/CFS patients with an infectious disease trigger from the HCs with 100% and 90% accuracies in the train and test sets, respectively. We finally performed a bioinformatic analysis of the EBV peptides associated with these 26 antibodies. We found no correlation between the importance metric of the selected antibodies in the classifier and the maximal sequence homology between human proteins and each EBV peptide recognized by these antibodies. Conclusions: In conclusion, these 26 antibodies against EBV have an effective potential for disease diagnosis in a subset of patients. However, the peptides associated with these antibodies are less likely to induce autoimmune B-cell responses that could explain the pathogenesis of ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Fonseca
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.F.); (C.C.)
- CEAUL—Centre of Statistics and its Applications, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mateusz Szysz
- Faculty of Mathematics & Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland; (M.S.); (H.T.L.)
| | - Hoang Thien Ly
- Faculty of Mathematics & Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland; (M.S.); (H.T.L.)
| | - Clara Cordeiro
- Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal; (A.F.); (C.C.)
- CEAUL—Centre of Statistics and its Applications, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sepúlveda
- CEAUL—Centre of Statistics and its Applications, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculty of Mathematics & Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, 00-662 Warsaw, Poland; (M.S.); (H.T.L.)
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Liu Y, Wen Z, Fang Y, Wang T, Wu F, Zhang H, Chen D, Liu J. Herpesvirus reactivation in respiratory tract is associated with increased mortality of severe pneumonia patients and their respiratory microbiome dysbiosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1294142. [PMID: 38188628 PMCID: PMC10771827 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1294142] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe pneumonia (SP) is a respiratory tract disease that seriously threatens human health. The herpesvirus detected in patients, especially with severe and immunodeficient diseases, is gradually attracting the attention of clinical doctors. However, little is known about the effect of herpesvirus on the prognosis of SP patients and the pulmonary microbial community. Here, we retrospectively analyzed respiratory samples from 45 SP patients detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). A total of five types of herpesviruses were detected, with Human alphaherpesvirus 1 (HHV-1) in 19 patients, Human betaherpesvirus 5 (CMV) in 7 patients, Human betaherpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) in 6 patients, Human alphaherpesvirus 2 (HHV-2) in 5 patients, and Human gammaherpesvirus 4 (EBV) in 4 patients. Further analysis showed that the mortality of the herpesvirus-positive group was significantly higher than that of the negative group. The results also showed that HHV-1 was significantly associated with the prognosis of SP patients, while the other herpesviruses did not have a significant difference in patient mortality. A comparison of the microbial community characteristics of SP patients showed a significant difference in beta-diversity between herpesvirus-positive and negative groups. Species difference analysis showed that the herpesvirus-positive group was related to more conditional pathogens, such as Pneumocystis jirovecii and Burkholderia cepacia. In summary, our results suggest that the presence of herpesvirus is associated with the mortality of SP patients. Furthermore, enrichment of conditional pathogens in the respiratory tract of herpesvirus-positive SP patients may be a potential reason for the increased mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongan Liu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenliang Wen
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Fang
- Department of Medicine, Genoxor Medical Science and Technology Inc., Zhejiang, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengsheng Wu
- Department of Medicine, Genoxor Medical Science and Technology Inc., Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongming Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Genoxor Medical Science and Technology Inc., Zhejiang, China
| | - Dechang Chen
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiao Liu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Nunes JM, Kell DB, Pretorius E. Cardiovascular and haematological pathology in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): A role for viruses. Blood Rev 2023; 60:101075. [PMID: 36963989 PMCID: PMC10027292 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2023.101075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
ME/CFS is a debilitating chronic condition that often develops after viral or bacterial infection. Insight from the study of Long COVID/Post Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), the post-viral syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, might prove to be useful for understanding pathophysiological mechanisms of ME/CFS. Disease presentation is similar between the two conditions, and a subset of Long COVID patients meet the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS. Since Long COVID is characterized by significant vascular pathology - including endothelial dysfunction, coagulopathy, and vascular dysregulation - the question of whether or not the same biological abnormalities are of significance in ME/CFS arises. Cardiac abnormalities have for a while now been documented in ME/CFS cohorts, with recent studies demonstrating major deficits in cerebral blood flow, and hence vascular dysregulation. A growing body of research is demonstrating that ME/CFS is accompanied by platelet hyperactivation, anomalous clotting, a procoagulant phenotype, and endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial damage and dysregulated clotting can impair substance exchange between blood and tissues, and result in hypoperfusion, which may contribute to the manifestation of certain ME/CFS symptoms. Here we review the ME/CFS literature to summarize cardiovascular and haematological findings documented in patients with the condition, and, in this context, briefly discuss the potential role of previously-implicated pathogens. Overall, cardiac and haematological abnormalities are present within ME/CFS cohorts. While atherosclerotic heart disease is not significantly associated with ME/CFS, suboptimal cardiovascular function defined by reduced cardiac output, impaired cerebral blood flow, and vascular dysregulation are, and these abnormalities do not appear to be influenced by deconditioning. Rather, these cardiac abnormalities may result from dysfunction in the (autonomic) nervous system. Plenty of recently published studies are demonstrating significant platelet hyperactivity and endothelial dysfunction in ME/CFS, as well as anomalous clotting processes. It is of particular importance to determine to what extent these cardiovascular and haematological abnormalities contribute to symptom severity, and if these two systems can be targeted for therapeutic purposes. Viral reservoirs of herpesviruses exist in ME/CFS, and most likely contribute to cardiovascular and haematological dysfunction directly or indirectly. This review highlights the potential of studying cardiac functioning, the vasculature, and coagulation system in ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean M Nunes
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa.
| | - Douglas B Kell
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa; Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK; The Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Biosustainability, Building 220, Chemitorvet 200, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Etheresia Pretorius
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa; Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown St, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK.
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Apostolou E, Rizwan M, Moustardas P, Sjögren P, Bertilson BC, Bragée B, Polo O, Rosén A. Saliva antibody-fingerprint of reactivated latent viruses after mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 is unique in patients with myalgic-encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Front Immunol 2022; 13:949787. [PMID: 36341457 PMCID: PMC9630598 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.949787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic disease considered to be triggered by viral infections in a majority of cases. Symptoms overlap largely with those of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19/long-COVID implying common pathogenetic mechanisms. SARS-CoV-2 infection is risk factor for sustained latent virus reactivation that may account for the symptoms of post-viral fatigue syndromes. The aim of this study was first to investigate whether patients with ME/CFS and healthy donors (HDs) differed in their antibody response to mild/asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Secondly, to analyze whether COVID-19 imposes latent virus reactivation in the cohorts. Methods Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were analyzed in plasma and saliva from non-vaccinated ME/CFS (n=95) and HDs (n=110) using soluble multiplex immunoassay. Reactivation of human herpesviruses 1-6 (HSV1, HSV2, VZV, EBV, CMV, HHV6), and human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) was detected by anti-viral antibody fingerprints in saliva. Results At 3-6 months after mild/asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, virus-specific antibodies in saliva were substantially induced signifying a strong reactivation of latent viruses (EBV, HHV6 and HERV-K) in both cohorts. In patients with ME/CFS, antibody responses were significantly stronger, in particular EBV-encoded nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) IgG were elevated in patients with ME/CFS, but not in HDs. EBV-VCA IgG was also elevated at baseline prior to SARS-infection in patients compared to HDs. Conclusion Our results denote an altered and chronically aroused anti-viral profile against latent viruses in ME/CFS. SARS-CoV-2 infection even in its mild/asymptomatic form is a potent trigger for reactivation of latent herpesviruses (EBV, HHV6) and endogenous retroviruses (HERV-K), as detected by antibody fingerprints locally in the oral mucosa (saliva samples). This has not been shown before because the antibody elevation is not detected systemically in the circulation/plasma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirini Apostolou
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Eirini Apostolou, ; Anders Rosén,
| | - Muhammad Rizwan
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Petros Moustardas
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Per Sjögren
- Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- ME-center, Bragée Clinics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bo Christer Bertilson
- Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- ME-center, Bragée Clinics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Björn Bragée
- Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- ME-center, Bragée Clinics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Olli Polo
- ME-center, Bragée Clinics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anders Rosén
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Eirini Apostolou, ; Anders Rosén,
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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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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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9
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Varesi A, Deumer US, Ananth S, Ricevuti G. The Emerging Role of Gut Microbiota in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Current Evidence and Potential Therapeutic Applications. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10215077. [PMID: 34768601 PMCID: PMC8584653 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10215077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The well-known symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) are chronic pain, cognitive dysfunction, post-exertional malaise and severe fatigue. Another class of symptoms commonly reported in the context of ME/CFS are gastrointestinal (GI) problems. These may occur due to comorbidities such as Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or as a symptom of ME/CFS itself due to an interruption of the complex interplay between the gut microbiota (GM) and the host GI tract. An altered composition and overall decrease in diversity of GM has been observed in ME/CFS cases compared to controls. In this review, we reflect on genetics, infections, and other influences that may factor into the alterations seen in the GM of ME/CFS individuals, we discuss consequences arising from these changes, and we contemplate the therapeutic potential of treating the gut to alleviate ME/CFS symptoms holistically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Varesi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Almo Collegio Borromeo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Correspondence: (A.V.); (G.R.)
| | - Undine-Sophie Deumer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Sanjana Ananth
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK;
| | - Giovanni Ricevuti
- Department of Drug Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Correspondence: (A.V.); (G.R.)
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10
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Evaluation of Immune Dysregulation in an Austrian Patient Cohort Suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11091359. [PMID: 34572574 PMCID: PMC8465819 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a severe multi-systemic disease characterized by debilitating fatigue that is not relieved by rest. The causes of the disease are still largely unexplained, and no causative treatment is currently available. Changes in the immune response are considered as fundamental in the development of ME/CFS. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the immunological profile of ME/CFS patients in a retrospective data analysis. As part of the routine workup for ME/CFS patients, a differential blood count, leukocyte subtyping, and quantification of immunoglobulins and IgG subclasses, as well as a complement analysis, was performed. Out of 262 ME/CFS patients, 64.9% had a reduction or deficiency in at least one of the listed immune parameters. In contrast, 26.3% showed signs of immune activation or inflammation. A total of 17.6% of the ME/CFS patients had an unclassified antibody deficiency, with IgG3 and IgG4 subclass deficiencies as the most common phenotypes. Reduced MBL (mannose-binding lectin) levels were found in 32% of ME/CFS patients, and MBL deficiency in 7%. In summary, the present results confirmed the relevance of immune dysfunction in ME/CFS patients underlining the involvement of a dysfunctional immune response in the disease. Thus, immune parameters are relevant disease biomarkers, which might lead to targeted therapeutic approaches in the future.
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11
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Lee JS, Lacerda EM, Nacul L, Kingdon CC, Norris J, O'Boyle S, Roberts CH, Palla L, Riley EM, Cliff JM. Salivary DNA Loads for Human Herpesviruses 6 and 7 Are Correlated With Disease Phenotype in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:656692. [PMID: 34422848 PMCID: PMC8378328 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.656692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex chronic condition affecting multiple body systems, with unknown cause, unclear pathogenesis mechanisms, and fluctuating symptoms which may lead to severe debilitation. It is frequently reported to have been triggered by an infection, but there are no clear differences in exposure to, or seroprevalence of, any particular viruses between people with ME/CFS and healthy individuals. However, herpes viruses have been repeatedly hypothesized to underlie the chronic relapsing/remitting form of MS/CFS due to their persistence in a latent form with periodic reactivation. It is possible that ME/CFS is associated with herpes virus reactivation, which has not been detectable previously due to insufficiently sensitive testing methods. Saliva samples were collected from 30 people living with ME/CFS at monthly intervals for 6 months and at times when they experienced symptom exacerbation, as well as from 14 healthy control individuals. The viral DNA load of the nine humanherpes viruses was determined by digital droplet PCR. Symptoms were assessed by questionnaire at each time point. Human herpesvirus (HHV) 6B, HHV-7, herpes simplex virus 1 and Epstein-Barr virus were detectable within the saliva samples, with higher HHV-6B and HHV-7 viral loads detected in people with ME/CFS than in healthy controls. Participants with ME/CFS could be broadly separated into two groups: one group displayed fluctuating patterns of herpesviruses detectable across the 6 months while the second group displayed more stable viral presentation. In the first group, there was positive correlation between HHV-6B and HHV-7 viral load and severity of symptom scores, including pain, neurocognition, and autonomic dysfunction. The results indicate that fluctuating viral DNA load correlates with ME/CFS symptoms: this is in accordance with the hypothesis that pathogenesis is related to herpesvirus reactivation state, and this should be formally tested. Herpesvirus reactivation might be a cause or consequence of dysregulated immune function seen in ME/CFS. The sampling strategy and molecular tools developed here permit such large-scale epidemiological investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Sook Lee
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eliana M. Lacerda
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Nacul
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Complex Chronic Diseases Program, BC Womens' Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Caroline C. Kingdon
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jasmin Norris
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shennae O'Boyle
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chrissy h. Roberts
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luigi Palla
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleanor M. Riley
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline M. Cliff
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Domingues TD, Grabowska AD, Lee JS, Ameijeiras-Alonso J, Westermeier F, Scheibenbogen C, Cliff JM, Nacul L, Lacerda EM, Mouriño H, Sepúlveda N. Herpesviruses Serology Distinguishes Different Subgroups of Patients From the United Kingdom Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Biobank. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:686736. [PMID: 34291062 PMCID: PMC8287507 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.686736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The evidence of an association between Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and chronic herpesviruses infections remains inconclusive. Two reasons for the lack of consistent evidence are the large heterogeneity of the patients' population with different disease triggers and the use of arbitrary cutoffs for defining seropositivity. In this work we re-analyzed previously published serological data related to 7 herpesvirus antigens. Patients with ME/CFS were subdivided into four subgroups related to the disease triggers: S0-42 patients who did not know their disease trigger; S1-43 patients who reported a non-infection trigger; S2-93 patients who reported an infection trigger, but that infection was not confirmed by a lab test; and S3-48 patients who reported an infection trigger and that infection was confirmed by a lab test. In accordance with a sensitivity analysis, the data were compared to those from 99 healthy controls allowing the seropositivity cutoffs to vary within a wide range of possible values. We found a negative association between S1 and seropositivity to Epstein-Barr virus (VCA and EBNA1 antigens) and Varicella-Zoster virus using specific seropositivity cutoff. However, this association was not significant when controlling for multiple testing. We also found that S3 had a lower seroprevalence to the human cytomegalovirus when compared to healthy controls for all cutoffs used for seropositivity and after adjusting for multiple testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. However, this association did not reach statistical significance when using Benjamini-Yekutieli procedure. In summary, herpesviruses serology could distinguish subgroups of ME/CFS patients according to their disease trigger, but this finding could be eventually affected by the problem of multiple testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Dias Domingues
- Departamento de Estatística e Investigação Operacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- CEAUL–Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Anna D. Grabowska
- Department of Biophysics, Physiology, and Pathophysiology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ji-Sook Lee
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jose Ameijeiras-Alonso
- Department of Statistics, Mathematical Analysis and Optimization, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - 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
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacqueline M. Cliff
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Nacul
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Complex Chronic Diseases Program, British Columbia Women's Hospital and Health Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Eliana M. Lacerda
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helena Mouriño
- Departamento de Estatística e Investigação Operacional, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- CMAFcIO–Center of Mathematics, Fundamental Applications and Operations Research, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sepúlveda
- CEAUL–Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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13
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Mozhgani SH, Rajabi F, Qurbani M, Erfani Y, Yaslianifard S, Moosavi A, Pourrostami K, Baradaran Bagheri A, Soleimani A, Behzadian F, Safavi M, Rezaei F. Human Herpesvirus 6 Infection and Risk of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Intervirology 2021; 65:49-57. [PMID: 34348314 DOI: 10.1159/000517930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a neurological disease that is accompanied by excessive fatigue or tiredness. There are several reports confirming the association between human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection and CFS illness. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to integrate the information of published studies with regard to this association until May 2021. METHODS The literature search was based on keywords including "chronic fatigue syndrome and HHV 6," "chronic fatigue syndrome and HHV-6," "chronic fatigue syndrome and HHV6," "chronic fatigue syndrome and Herpes virus 6," and "chronic fatigue syndrome and Herpesvirus6" in MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, and EMBASE. RESULTS The literature search identified 17 studies to be included in the systematic review and 11 studies in meta-analysis. The symmetry funnel plot and Egger's test (p value = 0.2) identified no publication bias among studies. Moreover, the low level of I2 revealed homogeneity across studies. DISCUSSION In conclusion, the association between the HHV-6 infection and CFS incidence was substantiated. However, the results of this study also suggest that further comprehensive studies are needed to solidify the association between HHV-6 and CFS. Future studies should consider additional factors that may have affected the significance of such a correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayed-Hamidreza Mozhgani
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.,Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Farid Rajabi
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Qurbani
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yousef Erfani
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Yaslianifard
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.,Dietary Supplements and Probiotic Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Azam Moosavi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Kiomars Pourrostami
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Ali Baradaran Bagheri
- Department of Neurosurgery, Madani Hospital, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Alireza Soleimani
- Department of Infectious Disease, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Farida Behzadian
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahshid Safavi
- Student Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Farhad Rezaei
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Human Herpesviruses Are Back! Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020185. [PMID: 33572802 PMCID: PMC7912523 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID) is a chronic multisystem illness of unconfirmed etiology. There are currently no biomarkers and/or signatures available to assist in the diagnosis of the syndrome and while numerous mechanisms have been hypothesized to explain the pathology of ME/CFS, the triggers and/or drivers remain unknown. Initial studies suggested a potential role of the human herpesviruses especially Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the disease process but inconsistent and conflicting data led to the erroneous suggestion that these viruses had no role in the syndrome. New studies using more advanced approaches have now demonstrated that specific proteins encoded by EBV could contribute to the immune and neurological abnormalities exhibited by a subgroup of patients with ME/CFS. Elucidating the role of these herpesvirus proteins in ME/CFS may lead to the identification of specific biomarkers and the development of novel therapeutics.
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15
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Shikova E, Reshkova V, Kumanova А, Raleva S, Alexandrova D, Capo N, Murovska M, on behalf of the European Network on ME/CFS (EUROMENE). Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and human herpesvirus-6 infections in patients with myalgic еncephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. J Med Virol 2020; 92:3682-3688. [PMID: 32129496 PMCID: PMC7687071 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling multisystem chronic disease. The etiology and pathogenesis of ME/CFS are unknown. Infections of cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) are suspected as etiological agents for ME/CFS. This study aims to estimate prevalence and type (active/latent) of EBV, CMV, and HHV-6 infections in Bulgarian ME/CFS patients. In the study were included 58 patients with ME/CFS and 50 healthy controls. Virus-specific antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and viral genomic sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMCs) and plasma samples by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We did not observe any significant differences in virus-specific immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M positivity rates between patients with ME/CFS and control group. In ME/CFS plasma samples, EBV DNA was found in 24.1%, CMV DNA in 3.4%, and HHV-6 DNA in 1.7% of samples. EBV DNA was detected in 4%, and CMV and HHV-6 DNA were not found in plasma samples of controls. The frequency of viral genome detection in PBMCs of patients and controls was 74% vs 78% for CMV, 81% vs 84% for EBV, and 82.8% vs 82% for HHV-6. The difference in frequency of EBV active infection in ME/CFS and control group was statistically significant (P = .0027). No ME/CFS and control individuals with active CMV and HHV-6 infection were observed. In conclusion, this study using both serological and PCR-based techniques for distinguishing between active and latent infection showed high rate of active EBV infection among patients with ME/CFS indicating that at least in a subset of cases, EBV is important factor for the development of disease.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/virology
- Female
- Male
- Adult
- Herpesvirus 6, Human/genetics
- Herpesvirus 6, Human/isolation & purification
- Middle Aged
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/virology
- Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/epidemiology
- Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/complications
- Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics
- Herpesvirus 4, Human/immunology
- Herpesvirus 4, Human/isolation & purification
- Cytomegalovirus Infections/virology
- Cytomegalovirus Infections/complications
- Cytomegalovirus Infections/epidemiology
- DNA, Viral/blood
- DNA, Viral/genetics
- Cytomegalovirus/genetics
- Cytomegalovirus/immunology
- Cytomegalovirus/isolation & purification
- Young Adult
- Leukocytes, Mononuclear/virology
- Roseolovirus Infections/virology
- Roseolovirus Infections/epidemiology
- Roseolovirus Infections/complications
- Prevalence
- Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Immunoglobulin G/blood
- Immunoglobulin M/blood
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
- Adolescent
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Shikova
- Department of VirologyNational Center of Infectious and Parasitic DiseasesSofiaBulgaria
- The National Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment in Haematological DiseasesSofiaBulgaria
| | | | - Аntoniya Kumanova
- Department of VirologyNational Center of Infectious and Parasitic DiseasesSofiaBulgaria
| | - Sevdalina Raleva
- Department of VirologyNational Center of Infectious and Parasitic DiseasesSofiaBulgaria
| | - Dora Alexandrova
- The National Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment in Haematological DiseasesSofiaBulgaria
| | - Natasa Capo
- Oncology Institute of VojvodinaSremska KamenicaSerbia
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Novi SadNovi SadSerbia
| | - Modra Murovska
- Institute of Microbiology and VirologyRiga Stradins UniversityRigaLatvia
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16
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Ariza ME. Commentary: Antibodies to Human Herpesviruses in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1400. [PMID: 32793195 PMCID: PMC7390837 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Eugenia Ariza
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.,Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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17
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Nilsson I, Palmer J, Apostolou E, Gottfries CG, Rizwan M, Dahle C, Rosén A. Metabolic Dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Not Due to Anti-mitochondrial Antibodies. Front Med (Lausanne) 2020; 7:108. [PMID: 32296708 PMCID: PMC7136523 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic profiling studies have recently indicated dysfunctional mitochondria in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This includes an impaired function of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC), possibly driven by serum factor(s), which leads to inadequate adenosine triphosphate generation and excessive lactate accumulation. A reminiscent energy blockade is likely to occur in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), caused by anti-PDC autoantibodies, as recently proposed. PBC is associated with fatigue and post-exertional malaise, also signifying ME/CFS. We herein have investigated whether ME/CFS patients have autoreactive antibodies that could interfere with mitochondrial function. We found that only 1 of 161 examined ME/CFS patients was positive for anti-PDC, while all PBC patients (15/15) presented significant IgM, IgG, and IgA anti-PDC reactivity, as previously shown. None of fibromyalgia patients (0/14), multiple sclerosis patients (0/29), and healthy blood donors (0/44) controls showed reactivities. Anti-mitochondrial autoantibodies (inner and outer membrane) were negative in ME/CFS cohort. Anti-cardiolipin antibody levels in patients did not differ significantly from healthy blood donors. In conclusion, the impaired mitochondrial/metabolic dysfunction, observed in ME/CFS, cannot be explained by presence of circulating autoantibodies against the tested mitochondrial epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabell Nilsson
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jeremy Palmer
- The Medical School, The University Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Eirini Apostolou
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Muhammad Rizwan
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Charlotte Dahle
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Anders Rosén
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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