Journal of IiME Volume 6 Issue 1 (June 2012) University of Glasgow, was held at The European Conference Centre, Brussels, on 9th – 11th November 1995. Session V was on the Immunology of (ME)CFS and was chaired by Professor Nancy Klimas and by Professor Umberto Tirelli. Professor Nancy Klimas (Miami) spoke on “The Immunopathogenesis of (ME)CFS” -- “(ME)CFS is characterised by a state of chronic immune activation and dysfunction, an observation confirmed by investigators in the US, Australia, Italy, Germany and the UK. The Miami group has longitudinal data suggesting patterns of immune dysfunction that correlate with the relapse/remitting nature of the illness. Specific patterns of soluble mediators suggest a key role for TNF alpha, and TNF receptor. Miami and other groups have shown that the degree of cellular dysfunction correlates with illness severity” (Conference Proceedings, page 28). Professor Umberto Tirelli (Director, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy) spoke on “Immunologic abnormalities in (ME)CFS” – “Immunological abnormalities so far associated with (ME)CFS include a decreased number and function of NK cells, the presence of chronically activated circulating T cells, abnormal distribution of T cell subsets, monocyte alterations, changes in B cells subsets, and abnormalities in cytokine serum levels or in vitro response of lymphocytes to mitogenic stimulation….Overall, (ME)CFS appears most likely to be a chronic disorder of the immune system probably caused by an infectious agent…with a chronic immune activation, in particular of cytokines and T lymphocytes” (Conference Proceedings, page 29). Dr Arnold Hilgers (Dusseldorf, Germany) spoke on “CFS: Evaluation of a 30-Criteria Score and Correlation with Immune Activation” – “Correlation between this 30-criteria score and immunological parameters could be evaluated in 472 out of the 505 patients. Significant positive correlation to the 30-criteria score was found in: CD8+ T-lymphocytes, DR+ T-lymphocytes, gamma globulin, IgM, IgG, and the number and types of autoantibodies (mainly ANA, ACA, thyroidal and parital antibodies)….In more and more larger groups of patients with (ME)CFS…we often see Invest in ME (Charity Nr. 1114035) clinical signs (and) specially a high prevalence of…prolonged inflammatory processes. Together with other results published by us and other investigators the data further confirm the hypothesis that a reduced or unstable immune control or delayed immune reaction to persisting viruses or bacterial intracellular pathogens can – triggered by common infections or other environmental factors – lead to a chronic neuroimmune activation state and autoimmune disorders” (Conference Proceedings page 30). In Poster Session I on 10th November 1995, Drs Mary Ann Fletcher, Roberto Patarca and Nancy Klimas posted on “Soluble receptors and chronic fatigue syndrome”, whilst L Habets, H Knechten and P Braun (Aachen, Germany) posted on “Patterns of immune dysfunction in patients with CFS”. In Poster Session II on 11th November 1995, C Demanet, E Joos, P de Becker, B Fischler and Kenny De Meirleir posted on “Evidence for immune activation in a subset of chronic fatigue syndrome patients”, whilst HJ Whelton, TJ Smith and EJ Fitzgibbon posted on “HLA-DR class II antigens and postviral fatigue syndrome”. 1995 On 18th November 1995 Professor Anthony Komaroff, Director and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, addressed an audience in London. For the benefit of the UK audience, he referred throughout to CFS as ME. With reference to the immune disturbance in ME/CFS, he said: “Now let’s turn to other objective laboratory studies. This is a paper we published three months ago, in which we basically summarised 10 years of laboratory studies, conducted on over 7,000 patients with ME from two different geographic areas in the States, who over 10 years have had 18,000 lab tests. These patients were compared with healthy people of the same age and sex. All blood samples were tested by technicians who did not know if a sample came from a healthy or an ME person. We found very striking increased frequencies of abnormalities: immune complexes were found nearly 27 times more often in ME patients than in healthy people. Elevated levels of immunoglobulin G were found nearly nine times more often in the ME patients. Unusually shaped white blood cells were found www.investinme.org Page 50 of 108
51 Publizr Home