Hypothesis: Mechanisms That Prevent Recovery in Prolonged ICU Patients Also Underlie Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

Dominic Stanculescu; Lars Larsson; Jonas Bergquist

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.628029

Hypothesis: Mechanisms That Prevent Recovery in Prolonged ICU Patients Also Underlie Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Jan 28:8:628029. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.628029. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Dominic Stanculescu¹, Lars Larsson², Jonas Bergquist^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Independent Researcher, Sint Martens Latem, Belgium.
² Basic and Clinical Muscle Biology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.
³ Analytical Chemistry and Neurochemistry, Department of Chemistry - Biomedical Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
⁴ The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Collaborative Research Centre at Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.

Abstract

Here the hypothesis is advanced that maladaptive mechanisms that prevent recovery in some intensive care unit (ICU) patients may also underlie Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Specifically, these mechanisms are: (a) suppression of the pituitary gland's pulsatile secretion of tropic hormones, and (b) a "vicious circle" between inflammation, oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), and low thyroid hormone function. This hypothesis should be investigated through collaborative research projects.

Keywords: critical illness; cytokines; low t-3 syndrome; myalgic encephalomyelitis; non-thyroidal illness syndrome; oxidative and nitrosative stress; pituitary; post-intensive care syndrome.