scholarly journals Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e015296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate E Earl ◽  
Giorgos K Sakellariou ◽  
Melanie Sinclair ◽  
Manuel Fenech ◽  
Fiona Croden ◽  
...  

ObjectiveSevere vitamin D deficiency is a recognised cause of skeletal muscle fatigue and myopathy. The aim of this study was to examine whether chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is associated with altered circulating vitamin D metabolites.DesignCohort study.SettingUK university hospital, recruiting from April 2014 to April 2015.ParticipantsNinety-two patients with CFS/ME and 94 age-matched healthy controls (HCs).Main outcome measuresThe presence of a significant association between CFS/ME, fatigue and vitamin D measures.ResultsNo evidence of a deficiency in serum total 25(OH) vitamin D (25(OH)D2and 25(OH)D3metabolites) was evident in individuals with CFS/ME. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis revealed that total 25(OH)D was significantly higher (p=0.001) in serum of patients with CFS/ME compared with HCs (60.2 and 47.3 nmol/L, respectively). Analysis of food/supplement diaries with WinDiets revealed that the higher total 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations observed in the CFS/ME group were associated with increased vitamin D intake through use of supplements compared with the control group. Analysis of Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire data revealed no association between perceived fatigue and vitamin D levels.ConclusionsLow serum concentrations of total 25(OH)D do not appear to be a contributing factor to the level of fatigue of CFS/ME.

2009 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 250-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saul Berkovitz ◽  
Gareth Ambler ◽  
Michael Jenkins ◽  
Sue Thurgood

Introduction: Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) may be at risk of osteoporosis due to their relative lack of physical activity and excessive time spent indoors, leading to reduced vitamin D synthesis. We hypothesized that serum 25-OH vitamin D levels are lower in CFS patients than in the general British population. Subjects and methods: We performed a retrospective survey of serum 25-OH vitamin D levels in 221 CFS patients. We compared this to a group of patients attending the hospital for other chronic conditions and to a large British longitudinal survey of 45-year old women, using a variety of appropriate statistical approaches. Results: 25-OH vitamin D levels are moderately to severely suboptimal in CFS patients, with a mean of 44.4 nmol/L (optimal levels >75 nmol/L). These levels are lower and the difference is statistically significant (p<0.0004) than those of the general British population from a recent national survey, but similar to those in patients with other chronic conditions. Conclusions: This data supports the recommendation made in recent NICE guidelines that all patients with moderate to severe CFS should be encouraged to obtain adequate sun exposure and eat foods high in vitamin D. Oral or intramuscular vitamin D supplementation should be considered for those whose levels remain suboptimal.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiren Sweetman ◽  
Torsten Kleffmann ◽  
Christina Edgar ◽  
Michel de Lange ◽  
Rosamund Vallings ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious and complex physical illness that affects all body systems with a multiplicity of symptoms, but key hallmarks of the disease are pervasive fatigue and ‘post-exertional malaise’, exacerbation after physical and/or mental activity of the intrinsic fatigue and other symptoms that can be highly debilitating and last from days to months. Although the disease can vary widely between individuals, common symptoms also include pain, cognitive deficits, sleep dysfunction, as well as immune, neurological and autonomic symptoms. Typically, it is a very isolating illness socially, carrying a stigma because of the lack of understanding of the cause and pathophysiology.Methods: To gain insight into the pathophysiology of ME/CFS, we examined the proteomes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by SWATH-MS analysis in a small well-characterised group of patients and matched controls. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to stratify groups based on protein abundance patterns, which clearly segregated the majority of the ME/CFS patients (9/11) from the controls. This majority subgroup of ME/CFS patients was then further compared to the control group. Results: A total of 60 proteins in the ME/CFS patients were differentially expressed (P < 0.01, Log10 (Fold Change) > 0.2 and < -0.2). Comparison of the PCA selected subgroup of ME/CFS patients (9/11) with controls increased the number of proteins differentially expressed to 99. Of particular relevance to the core symptoms of fatigue and post-exertional malaise experienced in ME/CFS, a proportion of the identified proteins in the ME/CFS groups were involved in mitochondrial function, oxidative phosphorylation, electron transport chain complexes, and redox regulation. A significant number were also involved in previously implicated disturbances in ME/CFS, such as the immune inflammatory response, DNA methylation, apoptosis and proteasome activation. Conclusions: The results from this study support a model of deficient ATP production in ME/CFS, compensated for by upregulation of immediate pathways upstream of Complex V that would suggest an elevation of oxidative stress. This study and others have found evidence of a distinct pathology in ME/CFS that holds promise for developing diagnostic biomarkers.


Author(s):  
Joshua Bond ◽  
Tessa Nielsen ◽  
Lynette Hodges

Background: Evidence is emerging that individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may suffer from chronic vascular dysfunction as a result of illness-related oxidative stress and vascular inflammation. The study aimed to examine the impact of maximal-intensity aerobic exercise on vascular function 48 and 72 h into recovery. Methods: ME/CFS (n = 11) with gender and age-matched controls (n = 11) were randomly assigned to either a 48 h or 72 h protocol. Each participant had measures of brachial blood pressure, augmentation index (AIx75, standardized to 75 bpm) and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (crPWV) taken. This was followed by a maximal incremental cycle exercise test. Resting measures were repeated 48 or 72 h later (depending on group allocation). Results: No significant differences were found when ME/CFS were directly compared to controls at baseline. During recovery, the 48 h control group experienced a significant 7.2% reduction in AIx75 from baseline measures (p < 0.05), while the matched ME/CFS experienced no change in AIx75. The 72 h ME/CFS group experienced a non-significant increase of 1.4% from baseline measures. The 48 h and 72 h ME/CFS groups both experienced non-significant improvements in crPWV (0.56 ms−1 and 1.55 ms−1, respectively). Conclusions: The findings suggest that those with ME/CFS may not experience exercise-induced vasodilation due to chronic vascular damage, which may be a contributor to the onset of post-exertional malaise (PEM).


2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 533-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Castro-Marrero ◽  
Mónica Faro ◽  
Luisa Aliste ◽  
Naia Sáez-Francàs ◽  
Natalia Calvo ◽  
...  

Medicina ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
C. (Linda) M. C. van Campen ◽  
Frans C. Visser

Background and objectives: Orthostatic intolerance (OI) is a clinical condition in which symptoms worsen upon assuming and maintaining upright posture and are ameliorated by recumbency. OI has a high prevalence in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Exact numbers on syncopal spells especially if they are on a weekly or even daily basis are not described. Although not a frequent phenomenon, this symptomatology is of very high burden to the patient if present. To explore whether patients with very frequent (pre)syncope spells diagnosed elsewhere with conversion or psychogenic pseudosyncope (PPS) might have another explanation of their fainting spells than behavioral psychiatric disorders, we performed a case–control study comparing ME/CFS patients with and without PPS spells. Methods and results: We performed a case–control study in 30 ME/CFS patients diagnosed elsewhere with PPS and compared them with 30 control ME/CFS patients without syncopal spells. Cases were gender, age and ME/CFS disease duration matched. Each underwent a tilt test with extracranial Doppler measurements for cerebral blood flow (CBF). ME/CFS cases with PPS had a significant larger CBF reduction at end tilt than controls: 39 (6)% vs. 25 (4)%; (p < 0.0001). Cases had more severe disease compared with controls (chi-square p < 0.01 and had a p = 0.01) for more postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in cases compared with controls. PETCO2 end-tilt differed also, but the magnitude of difference was smaller than compared with the CBF reduction: there were no differences in heart rate and blood pressure at either end-tilt testing period. Compared with the test with the stockings off, the mean percentage reduction in cardiac output during the test with compression stockings on was lower, 25 (5) mmHg versus 29 (4) mmHg (p < 0.005). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that in ME/CFS patients suspected of having PPS, or conversion, CBF measurements end-tilt show a large decline compared with a control group of ME/CFS patients. Therefore, hypoperfusion offers an explanation of the orthostatic intolerance and syncopal spells in these patients, where it is clear that origin might not be behavioral or psychogenic, but have a clear somatic pathophysiologic background.


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