Multiple sclerosis-associated fatigue. Krupp et al. (2010)

Woolie

Woolie

Senior Member
Not a new article, but I was struck by this comment on the relation between fatigue and pro-inflammatory cytokines:
Fatigue is a common feature in a variety of immune-mediated conditions, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and MS. It is reasonable to consider that the immune dysregulation common to these conditions contributes to fatigue. The observation that the administration of medications with predominant effects on immune function can produce fatigue (e.g., IFN-β) further supports the link between immune regulation, cytokines and fatigue. Another line of evidence suggesting a link between the immune system and fatigue is the observation that elevations in circulating immune parameters are found in fatiguing disorders, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer and viral infections ....

Higher expression of TNF-α mRNA in peripheral blood cells of patients with MS-related fatigue has been observed, suggesting that TNF-α may be a mediator of fatigue in MS.... Nonetheless, the association between MS-related fatigue and elevated levels of circulating cytokines has been inconsistent...This variability is not surprising, since inflammatory cytokines are sensitive to many variables.
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link to the article here

There are are no consistently observed associations between fatigue in ME and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. But its interesting to see we're not alone.
 
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Snow Leopard said:
Fact is, cytokines are not a biomarker for any illness except syndromes that centre around highly elevated cytokines, such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_release_syndrome.
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Just wanted to add that indirect cytokine measures like CRP (which is raised when a person is overproducing IL6) ARE biomarkers for some illnesses, including polymyalgia rheumatica and PFAPA (periodic fever apthous stomatis adenitis syndrome).

Without the CRP, these things would just be ME or fibro, so its really a key marker in these diseases (I know about the PFAPA because I have it, and would not have been diagnosed without the raised CRP.)

(edited for typo)
 
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