Journal of IiME Volume 6 Issue 1 (June 2012) Suhadolnik believes that (ME)CFS patients’ bodies are responding to a central nervous system virus that interferes with their viral pathways’ ability to fight off infection ”. 1997 On 16th August 1997 Professor Anthony Komaroff from Harvard made a presentation at NorthWestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, where he summarised areas of the most exciting research. He said there were a number of biological and immunological measures that show promise and he was encouraged by the growing recognition of the disease as “one of the brain and not one of the mind”. He stated that there are objective physical abnormalities that occur in (ME)CFS, both neurological and immunological measures, mentioning specifically NK cells and autoimmune findings. 1997 A highly-respected paper by Vojdani and Lapp et al stressed the importance of cell apoptosis (and the pivotal role of protein kinase RNA in this) in ME/CFS: “A prominent feature of (ME)CFS is a disordered immune system. Recent evidence indicates that induction of apoptosis might be mediated in a dysregulated immune system by the up-regulation of growth inhibitory cytokines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the apoptotic cell population, interferon- and the IFN-induced protein kinase RNA (PKR) gene transcripts in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of (ME)CFS individuals, as compared to healthy controls. One of the distinguishing manifestations of (ME)CFS is abnormal immune function, characterised by a decreased NK cell-mediated cytotoxic activity, reduced mitogenic response to lymphocytes, altered cytokine production, elevated titres of antibodies to a number of viruses, and abnormal production of interferon (IFN). The induction of apoptosis through immune defence mechanisms is an important mechanism for elimination of cancer cells as well as virusinfected cells. In the present study, the upregulation of IFN- and the IFN-induced PRK in (ME)CFS individuals is accompanied by the induction of apoptosis. In addition, dysregulation of cell cycle progression is associated with the induction of apoptosis in (ME)CFS individuals. Invest in ME (Charity Nr. 1114035) Quantitative analysis of apoptotic cell population in (ME)CFS individuals has shown a statistically significant increase compared to healthy controls. The population of apoptotic cells in 76% of (ME)CFS individuals was well above the apoptotic cell population in the control cells. Activation of PKR can result in induction of apoptosis. This activation of the PRK pathway could result from (a) dysregulated immune system or chronic viral infection” (A Vojdani et al. Journal of Internal Medicine 1997:242:465-478). 1997 “Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated a statistically significant dysregulation in several key components of the 2’ 5’A synthetase / RNase L and PKR antiviral pathways in (ME)CFS. The 2-5A synthetase / RNase L pathway is part of the antiviral defence mechanism in mammalian cells. An accumulating body of evidence suggests that (ME)CFS is associated with dysregulation of both humoral and cellular immunity, including mitogen response, reactivation of viruses, abnormal cytokine production, diminished natural killer (NK) cell function and changes in intermediary metabolites. Marked and striking differences have been observed in the molecular mass and RNase L enzyme activity of 2-5A binding proteins in extracts of PBMC from individuals with (ME)CFS compared with healthy controls. The biochemical and immunological data presented in this paper have identified a potential subgroup of individuals with (ME)CFS with an RNase L enzyme dysfunction that is more profound than previously observed in (ME)CFS, and which the authors believe is related to the severity of (ME)CFS symptoms” (Daniel L. Peterson, Paul R. Cheney, Kenny de Meirleir et al; Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research 1997:17:377385). 1997 On 24th –26th October 1997 a CFIDS Association conference was held at St Charles, Illinois, attended by such luminaries as Drs Anthony Komaroff, Leonard Jason and Nancy Klimas. www.investinme.org Page 54 of 108
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