Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious disease whose cause has yet to be identified. Objective markers of the disease are also not well understood and would serve as important tools in diagnosis and management. One potential biomarker or transmitter of immune signals in ME/CFS is the extracellular vesicle (EV) compartment. These small, membrane bound particles have been shown to play a key role in intercellular signaling. Our laboratory has focused on methods of detection of EVS in clinical samples. In this study we explored whether the prevalence of EVs in the plasma of participants with mild or severe ME/CFS differed from the plasma of healthy control participants. By staining for multiple cell surface molecules, plasma EVs could be fingerprinted as to their cell of origin. Our study revealed a significant correlation between severe ME/CSF and levels of EVs bearing the B cell marker CD19 and the platelet marker CD41a, though these changes were not significant after correction for multiple comparisons. These findings point to potential dysregulation of B cell and platelet activation or homeostasis in ME/CFS, which warrants validation in a replication cohort and further exploration of potential mechanisms underlying the association.
Highlights
IntroductionChronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease that afflicts between 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans [1]
Myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease that afflicts between 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans [1]
The ME/CFS participants were separated into two groups, and samples were selected based on being at the extremes of mild or severe disease based on the MFI score
Summary
Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease that afflicts between 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans [1]. Most patients who are ill for longer than 5 years never regain their pre-illness levels of health or functioning [1]. ME/CFS patients have a lower quality of life scores than other illnesses such as stroke, chronic renal failure, lung, breast, or colon cancer [2]. Persistent fatigue introduces social and financial hardships, as 80% of patients cannot work or attend school, while 25% are confined to their homes or beds. The disease has been heavily stigmatized and EVs in ME/CFS incorrectly treated as psychogenic or misdiagnosed as depression [3]. Very little is known about the etiology of the illness, with no established diagnostic test or FDA-approved treatments
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