Because of the Covid pandemic, the number of those affected will increase sharply, possibly even double, but neither causes nor causal treatment approaches are known, according to the MedUni Vienna. Researchers there have now identified possible biomarkers. Until now, there have been no measurable parameters for the disease.
Since the diagnosis is therefore difficult, the number of sufferers cannot be precisely quantified, the MedUni reported on Thursday: between 26,000 and 80,000 people in Austria suffer from chronic fatigue. “Due to Covid-19, this number could double in the next few years. The connections between infection with SARS-CoV-2 and ME/CFS are also the subject of intensive research,” it said.
According to the new study, those affected can be divided into subgroups based on the function of their immune system. Different biomarkers have been detected that indicate disorders in the immune system or reduced intestinal barrier function. Differences relevant to clinical care were identified that would have remained undetected without the immunological subdivision of the ME/CFS patient group. The study by Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber’s team from the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology was published in the “Journal of Clinical Medicine”.
The immunological clarification is of crucial importance: “Those affected who suffer from immune deficiencies are characterized by their altered immune function. In ME/CFS patients with an intact immune system, the intestinal barrier function was reduced,” explained study leader Eva Untersmayr. Elsenhuber. The special features that can be detected using measurable markers in the blood allow conclusions to be drawn about different disease mechanisms as well as treatment options.
The results should be examined on a larger scale. At MedUni Vienna, with the support of the WE&ME Foundation, the first “ME/CFS Biobank Austria” is being set up with biological samples from those affected. “So that ME/CFS research can take place quickly and across countries in the future, we coordinated with research groups in Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany from the start,” says Untersmayr-Elsenhuber.
According to MedUni, ME/CFS is a serious multisystemic disease that often leads to a high degree of impairment. 60 percent of patients are unable to work full-time and 25 percent are bedridden. The exact causes of the disease are still unclear.
(S E R V I C E – Publikation: Journal of Clinical Medicine, Immunological Patient Stratification in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Johanna Rohrhofer, Lisa Hauser, Lisa Lettenmaier, Lena Lutz, Larissa Koidl, Salvatore Alessio Gentile, Davide Ret, Michael Stingl, Eva Untersmayr; Doi: 10.3390/jcm13010275)
2024-02-15 10:16:51