Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine

Future Research Projects

IMMUNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN THE AETIOLOGY OF CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME/ MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (CFS/ME)

Supervisors

Dr Sonya Marshall
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry
& Cell Biology

(Principal)		 Dr Donald Staines

(Co-supervisor)

BACKGROUND

It has been postulated that certain fatigue-related conditions in humans such as chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) are mediated by changes in adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP pathway via class II G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The consequences of this impaired pathway would impair cyclic AMP occurring within cells, potentially resulting in major cellular dysfunction, which would be consistent with the known clinical presentation of the CFS/ME illness. In addition, a number of studies have sought evidence of abnormalities in immune function in this population group, such as changes in T lymphocytes subsets, however the results are equivocal as abnormalities have not yet been proven with clinical status.

AIMS OF THE PROJECT

The aims of this study are to determine Th1/Th2 levels and cAMP levels and correlate them between CFS/ME and the age matched control group.

METHODS

The project will consist of obtaining CFS/ME patients and age matched controls, aged between 18-45 years. Th1/Th2 levels and cAMP levels from T lymphocytes will be assessed using the technique of flow cytometry.