myalgic encephalopathy

Myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease of unknown etiology, with hallmark symptoms including postexertional malaise and poor recovery. Metabolic dysfunction is a plausible contributing factor. We hypothesized that changes in serum amino acids may disclose specific defects in energy metabolism in ME/CFS. Analysis in 200 ME/CFS patients and 102 healthy individuals showed a specific reduction of amino acids that fuel oxidative metabolism via the TCA cycle, mainly in female ME/CFS patients...

Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disease of unknown etiology. We have previously suggested clinical benefit from B-cell depletion using the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab in a randomized and placebo-controlled study. Prolonged responses were then demonstrated in an open-label phase-II study with maintenance rituximab treatment. Using blood samples from patients in the previous two clinical trials, we investigated quantitative changes in T-lymphocyte subsets, in immunoglobulins, and in serum levels of two B-cell regulating cytokines during follow-up...

BACKGROUND: Chronic fatigue is a frequently occurring problem in both the primary and specialist health services. The Department of Neurology at Haukeland University Hospital has established a standard assessment for patients referred with suspected CFS/ME. This study reports diagnoses and findings upon assessment, and considers the benefit of supplementary examinations. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Diagnoses and findings from examinations of 365 patients assessed for suspected CFS/ME are retrospectively reported...

The concept of careers has an extensive history in the sociology of health and illness. Among other things, the notion of a career has been used to describe the changing identities of patients diagnosed with mental illness, to identify distinct stages in the progression of various illnesses, and to recognize the cooperative efforts of hospitalized patients. However, the career concept may be reanalyzed as part of an analytical metaphor that makes salient both the agency of people with illnesses and the social structures in which they are enmeshed...

BACKGROUND: Myalgic Encephalopathy/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disease of unknown etiology. We previously reported a pilot case series followed by a small, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II study, suggesting that B-cell depletion using the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody rituximab can yield clinical benefit in ME/CFS. METHODS: In this single-center, open-label, one-armed phase II study (NCT01156909), 29 patients were included for treatment with rituximab (500 mg/m2) two infusions two weeks apart, followed by maintenance rituximab infusions after 3, 6, 10 and 15 months, and with follow-up for 36 months...

Perceived fatigue is a prominent symptom in patients with mitochondrial disease but to date its prevalence, impact and aetiology are poorly understood. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and assess for comorbidities associated with clinically relevant fatigue in patients with mitochondrial disease. A cross-sectional postal survey of patients with mitochondrial disease was undertaken using a validated self-completion, patient-reported outcome measures (response rate: 60%; n = 132). The prevalence and perceived functional impact of experienced fatigue were assessed using the Fatigue Impact Scale...

Opioid painkiller dependence is a growing problem and best-practice management is not well defined. We report a case of a young woman exhibiting dependence on codeine, originally prescribed for myalgic encephalopathy, after escalating use over a 10-year period. In 2012, a consultation with a new general practitioner, who had extensive experience of patients with substance abuse, revealed the underlying dependence. After building trust for 6 months, she was able to admit to medication abuse, and was referred to the community drug and alcohol team...

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been considered a possible trigger of myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and could also be linked with unspecified encephalopathy. The aim of this study was to analyse the frequency of XMRV proviral sequences in peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) DNA from 150 patients with ME/CFS and 30 apparently healthy individuals, as well as in PBL and brain tissue DNA from 61 individuals with/without unspecified encephalopathy. Targeting the XMRV proviral gag gene sequence by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) with previously reported primer sets, provirus was not detected either in DNA from patients with ME/CFS and individuals with unspecified encephalopathy, or in apparently healthy individuals...

OBJECTIVE: Stress precipitates and worsens not only asthma and atopic dermatitis but also acute coronary syndromes (ACSs), which are associated with coronary inflammation. Evidence linking stress to ACS was reviewed and indicated that activation of coronary mast cells (MCs) by stress, through corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and other neuropeptides, contributes to coronary inflammation and coronary artery disease. DATA SOURCES: PubMed was searched (2005-2013) for articles using the following keywords: allergies, anaphylaxis, anxiety, coronary arteries, coronary artery disease, C-reactive protein, cytokines, chymase, histamine, hypersensitivity, interleukin-6 (IL-6), inflammation, mast cells, myocardial ischemia, niacin, platelet-activating factor, rupture, spasm, statins, stress, treatment, tryptase, and uroctortin...

BACKGROUND: Paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) is relatively common and disabling. Current guidance recommends referral to specialist services, although some general practitioners believe the label of CFS/ME is harmful and many are not confident about diagnosing CFS/ME. Aim Explore whether or not adolescents and their mothers value referral to a specialist service for young people with CFS/ME. METHODS: A qualitative study nested within a feasibility study of interventions for CFS/ME [Specialist Medical Intervention and Lightning Evaluation (SMILE)]...

Neurasthenia was introduced as a diagnostic category in America in 1869, and rapidly spread to Europe. Many have drawn parallels between the historical disease entity of neurasthenia and contemporary conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy and burn-out, but we have little knowledge about the early history of neurasthenia in Norway. On the basis of Norwegian medical journals from the period 1880-1920, we have sought to study the introduction, understanding and application of the concept of neurasthenia in Norwegian medical practice, with particular emphasis on symptoms, causes, treatment, prognosis and prevalence...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors for HIV-associated fatigue in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 100 stable HIV-infected out-patients was carried out. Severity of fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS). Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance (dysautonomia) were evaluated using the Orthostatic Grading Scale (OGS). Data for HIV-infected patients were compared with those for 166 uninfected controls and 74 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (encephalopathy) (ME)...

OBJECTIVES: To examine the level of activity in online discussion forums for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) compared to other disorders. We hypothesized the level of activity to be higher in CFS/ME online discussion forums. DESIGN: Observational study SETTING: Norway, which has more than 80% household coverage in internet access, September 2009 PARTICIPANTS: Twelve Norwegian disorder-related online discussion forums MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of registered users and number of posted messages on each discussion forum RESULTS: Two forums were targeted towards individuals with CFS/ME...

Undergraduates from diverse academic backgrounds and medical trainees were assessed regarding their attitudes about and familiarity with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). We explored whether different names given to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, myalgic encephalopathy, or Florence Nightingale disease) were associated with differences in attributions regarding its cause, nature, severity, contagion, prognosis, and treatment. Participants' attributions toward the illness varied with the names used to characterize it...

BACKGROUND: Paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) is relatively common and children can be severely affected attending little or no school for extended periods. There are no studies quantifying the financial impact of having a child with CFS/ME and there is little information of the impact on parental mood. METHODS: Forty mothers of children with CFS/ME from a regional specialist CFS/ME service completed inventories to assess their psychological well-being (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, General Health Questionnaire-12) loss of earnings and increased expenditure...

In the past few months, there has been public discussion relating to a new perspective on blood safety and specifically upon measures to prevent or discourage donation by individuals with a diagnosis of myalgic encephalopathy-chronic fatigue syndrome. This reflects an intriguing interplay between science, public health and public concern and illustrates some of the difficulties of making decisions in the face of uncertainty and inadequate information.

Anxiety symptoms are commonly described in children with chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME) but to date there has been little information on the type of anxiety children experience or the relationship between anxiety and school attendance, disability or fatigue. The aim of this study was to first describe the prevalence and type of anxiety symptoms in children with CFS/ME compared with a normal European population, and secondly to investigate the association of anxiety symptoms with age, gender, school attendance, fatigue, and physical function in paediatric CFS/ME...

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an inherited metabolic disease due to a deficiency of the hydroxymethylbilane synthase in the haem biosynthesis. It manifests with occasional neurovisceral crises due to overproduction of porphyrin precursors such as aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) which is released from the liver to the circulation. The majority of the acute attacks manifest as a combination of abdominal pain, mild mental symptoms and autonomic dysfunction mainly due to vagal insufficiency. However, both acute peripheral neuropathy and encephalopathy may develop if an acute attack proceeds especially due to administration of porphyrinogenic drugs...

OBJECTIVE: To understand more about the problems children with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or myalgic encephalopathy (ME) experience with memory and attention, and to test the feasibility of quantitative measurement of both memory and attention. DESIGN: Four-item semistructured questionnaire and neuropsychological test battery with 10 psychometric subtests. SETTING: Family home of the child taking part. PATIENTS: 20 children with a diagnosis of CFS/ME experiencing memory and/or concentration problems were recruited between April and October 2007 from a regional CFS/ME clinical service (female 13; average age 13...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors associated with school attendance and physical function in paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalopathy (CFS/ME). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Regional specialist CFS/ME service. PATIENTS: Children and young people aged under 18 years. OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported school attendance and physical function measured using the physical function subscale of the Short Form 36...