Evidence browser

The in vitro immunomodulatory effects of glyconutrients on peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

See, D M, Cimoch, P, Chou, S et al.·Integrative physiological and behavioral science : the official journal of the Pavlovian Society·1998

This study tested whether a supplement containing eight specific sugars (called glyconutrients) could help fix immune system problems in ME/CFS patients. Researchers added the supplement to immune cells from ME/CFS patients and healthy controls in a laboratory dish and measured whether it improved immune function. The supplement appeared to increase the activity of several types of immune cells and reduce cell death in ME/CFS patients' immune cells.

Endocrine DisruptionPain and Sensitization

Neurobehavioral properties of chemical sensitivity syndromes.

Weiss, B·Neurotoxicology·1998

This review examines four conditions that involve chemical sensitivity and fatigue-like symptoms: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome, Sick Building Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Gulf War Syndrome. The authors explore different theories about why people develop these conditions, including psychiatric factors, learned behavioral responses, changes in how the nervous system works, and problems with the immune system's stress response. The review suggests that laboratory studies and controlled clinical trials could help determine which explanations are correct.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Mouse running activity is lowered by Brucella abortus treatment: a potential model to study chronic fatigue.

Ottenweller, J E, Natelson, B H, Gause, W C et al.·Physiology & behavior·1998

Researchers infected mice with a killed bacterium to see if it would create a model similar to ME/CFS. The mice immediately stopped running and grooming after infection, then slowly recovered over 2-4 weeks—though some mice recovered faster than others. Interestingly, during recovery, the mice could only run for short periods at first before becoming exhausted, gradually building up their endurance over time.

Post-Exertional Malaise

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a literature review from a physiatric perspective.

Jain, S S, DeLisa, J A·American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation·1998

This review examined over 200 scientific studies about ME/CFS to understand what we know about the condition, particularly focusing on thinking problems and exercise. The authors found that while patients often report cognitive difficulties, actual measured problems are subtle and mainly affect how quickly the brain processes complex information. Brain imaging studies suggest changes may occur in the white matter of the brain rather than in the muscles themselves.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome: an update for athletic trainers.

Cramer, C R·Journal of athletic training·1998

This article reviews what we know about ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, two conditions that cause severe fatigue, muscle pain, and sleep problems. The authors looked at medical research and government health information to summarize how these conditions affect people, especially athletes. They discuss various treatments being tested, including exercise, relaxation therapy, and medications, and emphasize the importance of careful medical evaluation and psychological support during diagnosis and treatment.

Pain and SensitizationSleep

Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain.

Bennett, R·Current opinion in rheumatology·1998

This review examines how fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and widespread pain are related conditions that share similar features. Researchers found that these conditions run in families, involve abnormal pain processing in the nervous system, and may share some underlying biological problems like growth hormone imbalances and low blood pressure. Several medications and treatments showed promise in reducing symptoms.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cellular sequences in stealth viruses.

Martin, W J·Pathobiology : journal of immunopathology, molecular and cellular biology·1998

Researchers found that a virus called a stealth virus, isolated from ME/CFS patients, contains genetic material that closely matches sequences found in human cells. When they tested samples from four different ME/CFS patients, they found variations in the virus's genetic code, suggesting these viruses may be genetically unstable. This discovery raises questions about whether these viruses might be involved in ME/CFS and how they exchange genetic information with human cells.

Decreased immunoreactive beta-endorphin in mononuclear leucocytes from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Conti, F, Pittoni, V, Sacerdote, P et al.·Clinical and experimental rheumatology·1998

Researchers measured levels of beta-endorphin, a natural chemical in the body that helps reduce pain and promotes well-being, in immune cells from ME/CFS patients and healthy people. They found that ME/CFS patients had significantly lower levels of this chemical compared to healthy controls. The authors suggest this difference might help explain why ME/CFS causes fatigue and weakness.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Dysfunction of natural killer activity in a family with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Levine, P H, Whiteside, T L, Friberg, D et al.·Clinical immunology and immunopathology·1998

Researchers studied a family where 8 members had ME/CFS and found that their natural killer (NK) cells—immune cells that help fight infections and cancer—were not working as well as they should. Some unaffected family members also had lower NK activity, suggesting this might be an inherited trait. The findings raise the possibility that a genetic weakness in immune function could increase risk for both ME/CFS and cancer in this family.

Decreased nitric oxide-mediated natural killer cell activation in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ogawa, M, Nishiura, T, Yoshimura, M et al.·European journal of clinical investigation·1998

This study looked at how a common amino acid called L-arginine affects immune cells called natural killer cells in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. The researchers found that L-arginine boosted natural killer cell activity in healthy volunteers, but this boost didn't happen in ME/CFS patients. The difference appears to be related to how the body produces nitric oxide, a chemical messenger involved in immune function.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Natural killer cells and natural killer cell activity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Whiteside, T L, Friberg, D·The American journal of medicine·1998

This study examines natural killer (NK) cells—white blood cells that help fight infections and abnormal cells—in people with ME/CFS. The researchers found that many ME/CFS patients have lower-than-normal NK cell activity. The study explores why this happens and how it might be related to the disease, while also noting that findings have been difficult to confirm across different studies.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclear

Normal gastric emptying time and myoelectrical activity in an adolescent with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Corrado, G, Riezzo, G, Rea, P et al.·Italian journal of gastroenterology and hepatology·1998

This study looked at stomach function in a teenager with ME/CFS by measuring how quickly food moves through the stomach and checking the electrical signals that control stomach contractions. The researchers found that this patient's stomach was working normally in both measures, suggesting that stomach problems may not be the cause of ME/CFS symptoms in this case.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Stress-associated immune modulation: relevance to viral infections and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Glaser, R, Kiecolt-Glaser, J K·The American journal of medicine·1998

This review examines whether ME/CFS might be triggered by viruses interacting with stress and the immune system. While doctors had noticed that people with ME/CFS often have signs of viral infection, previous research hadn't found a clear virus-to-ME/CFS connection. The authors explore how stress, dormant viruses like Epstein-Barr, and the body's immune response could work together to cause ME/CFS symptoms.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Autonomic neuropathies.

Low, P A·Current opinion in neurology·1998

This review explores how problems with the autonomic nervous system—the part of your nervous system that controls automatic functions like heart rate and temperature regulation—may play a role in several conditions, including ME/CFS. The author discusses how antibodies (immune proteins) targeting autonomic structures are found in some diseases, and notes that some autonomic problems can be treated with medications like midodrine or erythropoietin.

Autonomic Nervous System

CD4 T lymphocytes from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have decreased interferon-gamma production and increased sensitivity to dexamethasone.

Visser, J, Blauw, B, Hinloopen, B et al.·The Journal of infectious diseases·1998

This study looked at immune cells called CD4 T cells from ME/CFS patients and found they produced less of a protective immune protein called interferon-gamma compared to healthy people. Interestingly, these cells were also much more sensitive to dexamethasone, a steroid medication—it took 10-20 times less of the drug to suppress certain immune functions in ME/CFS patients than in controls. This suggests that the stress hormone system and immune system may be working abnormally together in ME/CFS.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

The psychotherapeutic effects of estrogens.

Panay, N, Studd, J W·Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology·1998

This review examines how estrogen, a hormone in women's bodies, may affect mood, thinking ability, and symptoms of depression. The authors found that estrogen therapy can help treat depression and improve memory in some women, and that early research suggests it might also help with fatigue and mood in women with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Chronic orofacial muscle pain: a new approach to diagnosis and management.

Klineberg, I, McGregor, N, Butt, H et al.·The Alpha omegan·1998

This study looked at different types of muscle pain conditions, including fibromyalgia and jaw pain, and found they affect men and women differently. The researchers suggest that some people may be genetically vulnerable to chronic pain, and that infections at the start of illness might play a role. They found links between abnormal fat levels, muscle metabolism problems, and fibromyalgia, which may also be connected to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Pain and Sensitization

Evaluation of central serotonergic function in affective and related disorders by the fenfluramine challenge test: a critical review.

Newman, Michael E., Shapira, Baruch, Lerer, Bernard·The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology·1998

This review examines a test called the fenfluramine challenge test, which measures how well the brain's serotonin system is working by looking at prolactin levels after taking fenfluramine. The researchers found that people with depression typically had a blunted (reduced) prolactin response, and that some people with chronic fatigue syndrome might have had an enhanced response, though not many studies existed in this group.

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Silicone breast implants and autoimmune disease.

Brown, S L, Langone, J J, Brinton, L A·Journal of the American Medical Women's Association (1972)·1998

In 1992, the FDA paused approval of silicone breast implants due to safety concerns, particularly worries about autoimmune diseases like scleroderma. This editorial reviews studies conducted since then and finds that while large increases in connective tissue disease overall were ruled out, studies were too small to detect rare diseases. The authors note that new methodologies for studying conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome might help answer whether implants cause a specific syndrome.