News From Jarred Younger / Neuroinflammation, Pain, and Fatigue Laboratory at UAB, From Aug 2020

"034 - My list of potential treatments to test

If you were curious about the compounds I plan to test for ME/CFS, FM, GWI, and Long-COVID, here is my full list! These are chemicals that may return microglia to their normal state and reverse chronic brain inflammation. - Jarred Younger"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfewbNsHPt0

 

I think I need a microscope to read that list.

 

Well I’m glad he has Longxuetongluo on his list—go look that one up.

 

"The Open Medicine Foundation (OMF) has started a clinical trial of low dose naltrexone (LDN) and pyridostigmine bromide (PB) for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In this video, I discuss the details and my impressions of the study design. More info can be found at the links below.

The ClinicalTrials.gov site: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06366724
The OMF signup page: https://www.omf.ngo/studyme/

- Jarred Younger"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MDh9691lJY

Forum thread: https://www.s4me.info/threads/the-l...e-mestinon-and-low-dose-naltrexone-ldn.36342/

 

036 - Elevated adrenaline in ME/CFS
"This recent meta-analysis found that individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may have elevated adrenaline while people with fibromyalgia (FM) do not. - Jarred Younger"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJqKbwE89rc

Discussed on the forum thread here:Adrenergic dysfunction in patients with [ME/CFS] and fibromyalgia: A systematic review and meta-analysis, 2024, Hendrix, Younger et al

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNaeV1qB1-Q

 

"Here is a quick update on our current clinical trials. Below are screening links for our psilocybin (for fibromyalgia) study and curcumin, stinging nettle, and resveratrol (for Gulf War Illness) study:

Screening link for psilocybin and fibromyalgia study: https://uab.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_20jbBUG5kx7bLBI?S=Y

Screening link for botanicals and Gulf War Illness study:
https://uab.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7QBq7JNtdQxvjzo

Jarred"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlILMAUwiiM

 

Trials mentioned:

Psilocybin-facilitated Treatment for Chronic Pain

Curcumin, Resveratrol, and Stinging Nettle as Treatments for GWI

Long COVID Brain Fog: Cognitive Rehabilitation Trial

(I'm not positive the last one is correct, but it's the only vagus nerve stimulation trial in Birmingham, Alabama.)

 

"C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is a sensitive marker of inflammation. I am presenting some new data on CRP elevations I see in chronic pain and fatigue conditions. - Jarred Younger"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDL8f_ZM9GU

 

I find the video is a muddle. He talks about CRP and hsCRP but it is not clear which test he used.

In the UK ME Biobank/LSHTM study the NHS normal range for CRP is listed as 0-5.
In that study the CRP results for ME/CFS has an average value of 2, and healthy control an average of 1 and the difference was listed as significant.
Thread here : https://www.s4me.info/threads/evide...analytic-cross-section-2019-nacul-et-al.9024/

At LabCorp in the US the normal range for CRP is 0-10 which is the range for the results he reported.
https://www.labcorp.com/tests/006627/c-reactive-protein-crp-quantitative

For hsCRP there doesn't seem to be a normal range and the lab testing companies report "high risk" for results >3.
https://www.labcorp.com/tests/120766/c-reactive-protein-crp-high-sensitivity-cardiac-risk-assessment

What is disappointing is Dr. Younger mentions that everyone should get tested but he didn't mention that the test is not covered under the Medicare plan (government insurance plan used by those who are disabled or old) unless a specific relevant disease code is used (which varies from state to state).

However, I do find it interesting that it might track with symptom flares.

 

"As promised, here are the new data on systemic inflammation in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). - Jarred Younger"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPgeFECCSCg

 

The Beentjes study picked out CRP as statistically different in the ME/CFS group but only a tiny proportion of people (?4%) had CRP levels that would be considered clinically significant normally. I think there is a high likelihood of confounding with such a tiny number.

 

I had forgotten that. I have always regarded a CRP of more than 2 as potentially of note. 5 is unusual in completely healthy people. If the average for ME/CFS is 2 then it suggests something going on. The problem again is whether this is ME/CFS or some associated confounder.

There is a confusion because there are two units used for CRP - one ten times the other, so a normal range up to 10 in one country is up to 1 in another. For the British system 10 is definitely high. I think maybe in the US it is not.

The highly sensitive assay should have the same normal range - it just measures the lower levels more accurately. The oldest CRP tests were barely able to distinguish differences around the 1 level I think.

 

But if it was, wouldn't it have been spotted decades ago? It's such a common test.

 

We are talking about something right at the edge of what is considered normal in a test result that can go up more than 100 fold when it wants to. But coronary heart disease is known to be associated with this sort of borderline result for reasons that are not clear.

Previous studies may have looked to see if results are in a 'normal range'. That is different from comparing matched patient and control samples. The downside of the latter is that there are various reasons why you may get a difference that is not actually related to the ME/CFS but to the way you select groups. One problem with normal control groups is that they tend to be 'more normal than average' - people who are completely fit and probably slim and good at badminton.

 

That might be because it's often carried out by GPs, whose watch and wait approach tends to categorise any result not written in large red letters as probably-within-the-bounds-of-normal?

 

Do you know if that is mg/Litre or mg/decilitre? Both units have been used. I think everyone maybe going over to mg/Litre - which makes a level of 10 equal to the old level of 1.