Re: New Scientist article on changed gene expression in CFS

[Guest guest]

> Kerr says. Of the other genes whose expression varies in CFS

> patients, some are involved in regulating the activity of the immune

> system. Others play important roles in nerve cells, including a gene

> called NTE, which codes for an enzyme affected by organophosphates

> and nerve gases.Journal reference: Journal of Clinical Pathology (vol

> 58, p 823, 860)

At this point, the only people left who think that CFS is " All in the

Mind " are people who are " Out of Their Mind " .

I find the gene expression dysregulation regarding neurotoxins

extremely relevant.

-

[Guest guest]

Very interesting, Tansy! It will be exciting to learn more about the

specifics of the deviations they found.

Thanks much,

> Chronic fatigue is not all in the mind

> 23 July 2005

> NewScientist.com news service

> Rowan Hooper

>

> AT LONG last, we are beginning to get to grips with chronic

fatigue

> syndrome. Differences in gene expression have been found in the

> immune cells of peoplewith the disease, a discovery that could

lead

> to a blood test for the disorderand perhaps even to drugs for

> treating it.The symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome have been

> compared to those of areally bad hangover: extreme weakness,

> inability to think straight, disruptedsleep and headache. But

unlike

> a hangover, the symptoms linger for years,devastating people's

lives.

> While nobody doubts CFS exists, just about every aspect of it is

> controversial. Some say it is the same as myalgic

encephalomyelitis,

> or ME; others disagree. Many specialists are convinced it does

have a

> biological basis, but pinning down physical abnormalities common

to

> all patients has proved tough.

>

> Peoplewith CFS have often received little sympathy from doctors

who

> dismiss it as " all in the mind " .Now Kerr's team, which is

> moving to St 's University of London,has compared levels of

> gene expression in the white blood cells of 25 healthyindividuals

> with those in 25 patients diagnosed as having CFS according

tostrict

> criteria. The researchers found differences in 35 of the 9522

genes

> they analysed using DNA chip technology. The few similar studies

done

> in the past have produced conflicting results, so the team double-

> checked their results using a more accurate method calledreal-time

> PCR. That confirmed that 15 of the genes were up to four times as

> active in people with CFS, while one gene was less active. The

> results will appear in the Journal of Clinical Pathology next

month.

>

> Kerr is repeating the study in 1000 CFS patients and healthy

> controls, this time looking at 47,000 gene products. So far, the

> larger study backs up the earlier results, he told New

Scientist.If

> Kerr really has succeeded where many have failed, and identified

> clear physical changes in people with CFS, the lingering opinion

that

> it is " all inthe mind " could finally be laid to rest. " This

exciting

> new work shows that some aspects of this complex illness may be

> understandable in molecular terms, and that CFS is not a 'made up'

> illness, " says Lane, a neurologist at Charing Cross

Hospital

> in London. It should also be possible to develop a blood test for

> CFS.

>

> The team has already discovered differences in blood proteins

related

> to the changes in geneexpression.Kerr hopes the work might even

lead

> to treatments. " We have shown that asignificant part of the

> pathogenesis resides in the white blood cells and intheir

activity, "

> he says. " It will open the door to development ofpharmacological

> interventions. " Several of the genes identified by the team in CFS

> play important roles inmitochondria, the power factories of our

> cells. " The involvement of such genesdoes seem to fit with the

fact

> that these patients lack energy and suffer fromfatigue, " Kerr

says.

> One of these gene products, EIF4G1, is involved in protein

production

> inmitochondria. It is hijacked by some viruses, so cells may

> compensate by ramping up gene expression.

>

> " I am excited by the paper, " says Basant Puri, a CFS expert at

> Hammersmith Hospital in London. " The group's finding

ofupregulation

> of EIF4G1 is consistent with subclinical persistent viral

> infection. " This fits in with the idea that CFS is sometimes

triggered

> by viruses such asEpstein-Barr, Q fever, enteroviruses and

parvovirus

> B19. " CFS often begins witha flu-like illness which never goes

away, "

> Kerr says. Of the other genes whose expression varies in CFS

> patients, some are involved in regulating the activity of the

immune

> system. Others play important roles in nerve cells, including a

gene

> called NTE, which codes for an enzyme affected by organophosphates

> and nerve gases.Journal reference: Journal of Clinical Pathology

(vol

> 58, p 823, 860)

[Guest guest]

Hi

I am looking forward to seeing how this progresses too. It will be

interesting to see how other researchers tie their findings in with

this gene research.

Back in the early 80s local haematologists were using lymphocyte

studies to confirm PVS/PVFS and ME: they found atypical lymphocytes,

high helper T cells and low supressor T cells. Patients were told

this meant they could no longer be told it was all in the mind, but

of course many doctors still did.

Cheers, Tansy

> > Chronic fatigue is not all in the mind

> > 23 July 2005

> > NewScientist.com news service

> > Rowan Hooper

> >

> > AT LONG last, we are beginning to get to grips with chronic

> fatigue

> > syndrome. Differences in gene expression have been found in the

> > immune cells of peoplewith the disease, a discovery that could

> lead

> > to a blood test for the disorderand perhaps even to drugs for

> > treating it.The symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome have been

> > compared to those of areally bad hangover: extreme weakness,

> > inability to think straight, disruptedsleep and headache. But

> unlike

> > a hangover, the symptoms linger for years,devastating people's

> lives.

> > While nobody doubts CFS exists, just about every aspect of it is

> > controversial. Some say it is the same as myalgic

> encephalomyelitis,

> > or ME; others disagree. Many specialists are convinced it does

> have a

> > biological basis, but pinning down physical abnormalities common

> to

> > all patients has proved tough.

> >

> > Peoplewith CFS have often received little sympathy from doctors

> who

> > dismiss it as " all in the mind " .Now Kerr's team, which

is

> > moving to St 's University of London,has compared levels of

> > gene expression in the white blood cells of 25 healthyindividuals

> > with those in 25 patients diagnosed as having CFS according

> tostrict

> > criteria. The researchers found differences in 35 of the 9522

> genes

> > they analysed using DNA chip technology. The few similar studies

> done

> > in the past have produced conflicting results, so the team double-

> > checked their results using a more accurate method calledreal-

time

> > PCR. That confirmed that 15 of the genes were up to four times as

> > active in people with CFS, while one gene was less active. The

> > results will appear in the Journal of Clinical Pathology next

> month.

> >

> > Kerr is repeating the study in 1000 CFS patients and healthy

> > controls, this time looking at 47,000 gene products. So far, the

> > larger study backs up the earlier results, he told New

> Scientist.If

> > Kerr really has succeeded where many have failed, and identified

> > clear physical changes in people with CFS, the lingering opinion

> that

> > it is " all inthe mind " could finally be laid to rest. " This

> exciting

> > new work shows that some aspects of this complex illness may be

> > understandable in molecular terms, and that CFS is not a 'made

up'

> > illness, " says Lane, a neurologist at Charing Cross

> Hospital

> > in London. It should also be possible to develop a blood test for

> > CFS.

> >

> > The team has already discovered differences in blood proteins

> related

> > to the changes in geneexpression.Kerr hopes the work might even

> lead

> > to treatments. " We have shown that asignificant part of the

> > pathogenesis resides in the white blood cells and intheir

> activity, "

> > he says. " It will open the door to development ofpharmacological

> > interventions. " Several of the genes identified by the team in CFS

> > play important roles inmitochondria, the power factories of our

> > cells. " The involvement of such genesdoes seem to fit with the

> fact

> > that these patients lack energy and suffer fromfatigue, " Kerr

> says.

> > One of these gene products, EIF4G1, is involved in protein

> production

> > inmitochondria. It is hijacked by some viruses, so cells may

> > compensate by ramping up gene expression.

> >

> > " I am excited by the paper, " says Basant Puri, a CFS expert at

> > Hammersmith Hospital in London. " The group's finding

> ofupregulation

> > of EIF4G1 is consistent with subclinical persistent viral

> > infection. " This fits in with the idea that CFS is sometimes

> triggered

> > by viruses such asEpstein-Barr, Q fever, enteroviruses and

> parvovirus

> > B19. " CFS often begins witha flu-like illness which never goes

> away, "

> > Kerr says. Of the other genes whose expression varies in CFS

> > patients, some are involved in regulating the activity of the

> immune

> > system. Others play important roles in nerve cells, including a

> gene

> > called NTE, which codes for an enzyme affected by

organophosphates

> > and nerve gases.Journal reference: Journal of Clinical Pathology

> (vol

> > 58, p 823, 860)

[Guest guest]

> Chronic fatigue is not all in the mind

> 23 July 2005

> NewScientist.com news service

> Rowan Hooper

>

Hi Tansy

This information made the 8 am news on GMTV this morning. They said

that ME is a definite illness because sufferers' blood is different

from healthy subjects, thereby implying it definitely isn't " all in

the mind " which of course we knew all along. What will Wessley et

al say now?

Thanks so much for posting this info, I have been searching for

fuller details without success.

Best Wishes

Pam

[Guest guest]

Hi Pam

There have been articles in The Telegraph and it's featured on the

BBC news website too

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4702515.stm

Alongside Dr Gow's work in Glasgow and gene research from the US

already published the Wessely School are going to hard to work even

harder to validate their functional somatic disorders. This research

also picked up on toxins too which comes us no surprise.

The full New Scentist article posted on the co cure archives, I

prefer to see the original text rather than reviews because there can

sometimes be persoanl interpretations of what is written.

My MP will be delighted with this, he has also been trying to help

his contituents with GWI/S in which there are major overlaps,

government depts take more notice of him that they do ME/CFS and GWS

advocates.

Cheers, Tansy

> > Chronic fatigue is not all in the mind

> > 23 July 2005

> > NewScientist.com news service

> > Rowan Hooper

> >

> Hi Tansy

>

> This information made the 8 am news on GMTV this morning. They

said

> that ME is a definite illness because sufferers' blood is different

> from healthy subjects, thereby implying it definitely isn't " all in

> the mind " which of course we knew all along. What will Wessley et

> al say now?

>

> Thanks so much for posting this info, I have been searching for

> fuller details without success.

>

> Best Wishes

>

> Pam