Cytokine network analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Mol Psychiatry. 2016 Feb;21(2):261-9. doi: 10.1038/mp.2015.29. Epub 2015 Mar 31.

Abstract

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is an unexplained debilitating disorder that is frequently associated with cognitive and motor dysfunction. We analyzed cerebrospinal fluid from 32 cases, 40 subjects with multiple sclerosis and 19 normal subjects frequency-matched for age and sex using a 51-plex cytokine assay. Group-specific differences were found for the majority of analytes with an increase in cases of CCL11 (eotaxin), a chemokine involved in eosinophil recruitment. Network analysis revealed an inverse relationship between interleukin 1 receptor antagonist and colony-stimulating factor 1, colony-stimulating factor 2 and interleukin 17F, without effects on interleukin 1α or interleukin 1β, suggesting a disturbance in interleukin 1 signaling. Our results indicate a markedly disturbed immune signature in the cerebrospinal fluid of cases that is consistent with immune activation in the central nervous system, and a shift toward an allergic or T helper type-2 pattern associated with autoimmunity.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chemokine CCL11 / immunology
  • Chemokine CCL11 / metabolism
  • Cytokines / analysis*
  • Cytokines / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Cytokines / immunology*
  • Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / immunology*
  • Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Multiple Sclerosis / immunology
  • Multiple Sclerosis / metabolism

Substances

  • CCL11 protein, human
  • Chemokine CCL11
  • Cytokines
  • Interleukin-17
  • Interleukin-1beta