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By Sharni Lee Hardcastle et al.
: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a disabling illness, characterized by persistent, debilitating fatigue and a multitude of symptoms. Immunological alterations are prominent in CFS/ME cases, however little is known about the relationship between CFS/ME severity and the extent of immunological dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to assess innate and adaptive immune cell phenotypes and function of two groups of CFS/ME patients, bedridden (severe) and mobile (moderate).
: CFS/ME participants were defined using the Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (1994 CDC) Criteria for CFS/ME.
Participants were grouped into healthy controls (n=22, age=40.14 ± 2.38), moderate/mobile (n=23; age=42.52 ± 2.63) and severe/bedridden (n=18; age=39.56 ± 1.51) CFS/ME patients. Flow cytometric protocols were used to examine neutrophil, monocyte, dendritic cells (DCs), iNKT, Treg, B, gamma delta and CD8+ T cell phenotypes, NK cytotoxic activity and receptors.
: The present data found that CFS/ME patients demonstrated significant decreases in NK cytotoxic activity, transitional and regulatory B cells, gamma delta 1T cells, KIR2DL1/DS1, CD94+ and KIR2DL2/L3.
Significant increases in CD56-CD16+NKs, CD56dimCD16- and CD56brightCD16-/dim NKs, DCs, iNKT phenotypes, memory and naive B cells were also shown in CFS/ME participants. Severe CFS/ME patients demonstrated increased CD14-CD16+ DCs, memory and naïve B cells, total iNKT, iNKT cell and NK phenotypes compared to moderate CFS/ME patients.
: This study is the first to determine alterations in NK, iNKT, B, DC and gamma delta T cell phenotypes in both moderate and severe CFS/ME patients. Immunological alterations are present in innate and adaptive immune cells and sometimes, immune deregulation appears worse in CFS/ME patients with more severe symptoms. It may be appropriate for CFS/ME patient severity subgroups to be distinguished in both clinical and research settings to extricate further immunological pathologies that may not have been previously reported.
: Sharni Lee Hardcastle, EkuaWeba Brenu, Samantha Johnston, Thao Nguyen, Teilah Huth, Manprit Kaur, Sandra Ramos1, Ali Salajegheh, Don Staines and Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik. Analysis of the Relationship between Immune Dysfunction and Symptom Severity in Patients with CFS/ME. Citation: Hardcastle SL, Brenu E, Johnston S, Nguyen T, Huth T, et al. (2014). Analysis of the Relationship between Immune Dysfunction and Symptom Severity in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). J Clin Cell Immunol
5: 190. doi:10.4172/2155-9899.1000190
Copyright: © 2014 Hardcastle SL, et al.