Journal of IiMER Volume 10 Issue 1 IIMEC11 June 2016 PRESENTERS receptors in a subset of patients with CFS/ME. Patients with elevated autoantibodies frequently had increased IgG levels, ANA titers and/or T cell activation. We therefore suspect that the autoantibodies can activate immune cells carrying these receptors by imitating adrenaline/ acetylcholine stimulation. Various other symptoms of CFS/ME could be explained by an overstimulation of the sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system. In patients who were treated with rituximab in the Norway trials elevated autoantibodies normalized. Loebel M, Grabowski P, Heidecke H, Bauer S, Hanitsch LG, Wittke K, Meisel C, Reinke P, Volk HD, Fluge Ø, Mella O, Scheibenbogen C. Antibodies to ß adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Brain Behav Immun. 52: 32-39, 2016. Dr Geraldine (Jo) Cambridge B cells, Rituximab and ME/CFS Dr Jo Cambridge is Principal Research Fellow Inflammation, Div of Medicine Faculty of Medical Sciences, UCL Her group focuses its interests on B cell depletion (an idea which they introduced (with the Professor Jo Edwards) approximately 10 years ago for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis), exploring more precisely how the technique works and trying to explain the marked variation in response between different patients ABSTRACT B cell biology and Rituximab treatment in Patients with ME/CFS G. Cambridge and F. Mensah Centre of Rheumatology Research, Division of Medicine, University College of London Invest in ME (Charity Nr. 1114035) www.investinme.org Page 62 of 77
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