Journal of IiME Volume 6 Issue 1 (June 2012) eleven times more often, also several other abnormalities. So these tests are saying there is, in the true ME patient, an activation of the immune system….There is more evidence in the literature that the immune system in ME is chronically turned on. I think that the body of evidence overwhelmingly says there is a chronic state of immune activation in these patients – as if they are fighting against something” (Perspectives, March 1996). 1996 “Many CFS patients have a history of allergies years before the onset of the syndrome…Sometimes patients report a worsening of allergic symptoms or the onset of new allergies after becoming ill with CFS…..Allergies are common in people with CFS….(there is a) high prevalence of allergies in the CFS population….many patients are extremely sensitive to drugs” Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Information for Physicians. Issued in September 1996 by The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease; National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Department of Health and Human Services. 1996 An important paper from Konstantinov and Tan et al demonstrated the occurrence of autoantibodies to a conserved intracellular protein (lamin B1), which provides laboratory evidence for an autoimmune component in ME/CFS. The authors found that 52% of patients with ME/CFS develop autoantibodies to components of the nuclear envelope (NE), mainly nuclear lamins, suggesting that in addition to the other documented disturbances of the immune system, humoral autoimmunity against polypeptides of the NE is a prominent immune derangement in ME/CFS. 67% of ME/CFS patients were positive for NE reactivity compared with 10% of normal controls. Autoantibodies to NE proteins are relatively infrequent and most fall into the category of an unusual connective tissue disease characterised by brain or skin vasculitis. The authors concluded that such activation “could be the result of various triggering agents, such as infections or environmental toxins. Future work should be directed at a better understanding of the autoimmune response of (ME)CFS patients to Invest in ME (Charity Nr. 1114035) other NE antigens” (K Konstantinov et al. J Clin Invest 1996:98:8:1888-1896). 1996 As presented at the First World Congress on (ME)CFS held in Brussels in November 1995, Hilgers and Frank developed a score for severity of ME/CFS to correlate with parameters of immune activation. This was effected by a 30-point criteria score, basic laboratory programmes and immunological profiles in 505 patients. In addition, tests of the complement system, immune activation markers, hormones and viral/bacterial intracellular serology were evaluated. Seventeen significant symptoms not currently in the CDC case definition were added, these being respiratory infections, palpitations, dizziness, dyspepsia, dryness of mouth/eyes, allergies, nausea, paraesthesia, loss of hair, skin alterations, dyscoordination (sic), chest pain, personality changes, eczema, general infections, twitches and urogenital infections. A significant correlation between the criteria score and immunological parameters could be evaluated in 472 of the 505 patients. The data confirm that a reduced or unstable immune control or delayed immune reaction to persisting viruses or bacterial intracellular pathogens, possibly triggered by common infections or other environmental factors, can lead to a chronic neuroimmune activation state and autoimmune disorders (JCFS 1996:2: (4):35-47). 1996 The Third Biennial AACFS Clinical and Research Conference was held on 13th – 16th October 1996 in San Francisco (reported in 67 pages of the January 1997 edition of The CFIDS Chronicle, to which grateful acknowledgment is made). Vicki L Carpman reported on the Endocrinology Sessions (“Stess-Associated Immune Modulation”), noting Dr Ronald Glaser’s presentation that stress directly modulates the immune, endocrine and central nervous systems and that research has shown that stress can induce viral reaction in at least three ways. Dr Glaser made a recommendation to (ME)CFS researchers: “The bottom line is that when (ME)CFS researchers have discussions about what immune markers to www.investinme.org Page 51 of 108
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