An overactive immune system may possibly help to explain the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Scientists studied 55 patients with hepatitis C who were given a drug that causes a similar reaction to a virus.
18 of them had an overactive immune system and developed symptoms similar to those of chronic fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome is a long-standing illness with extreme fatigue.
Overactive Immune system in chronic Fatigue syndrome
King’s College scientists have selected 55 patients with hepatitis C. The usual treatment for the disease is the interferon-alpha that causes the immune system to cause a severe infection. The researchers measured fatigue and immune markers before, during, and after treatment, monitoring people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
In the 18 patients who developed symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome, the researchers found a much stronger immune response to the drug.
These patients also had an overactive immune system prior to initiation of treatment.
For the first time, researchers have shown that people with a tendency for diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome have an overactive immune system before and after a challenge.
References
- Morris G, Anderson G, Maes M. Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Hypofunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as a Consequence of Activated Immune-Inflammatory and Oxidative and Nitrosative Pathways. Mol Neurobiol. 2017 Nov;54(9):6806-6819.
- Maes M. An intriguing and hitherto unexplained co-occurrence: Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome are manifestations of shared inflammatory, oxidative and nitrosative (IO&NS) pathways. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Apr 29;35(3):784-94.