Genetic
and Environmental Factors Impact CFS Patients
People who suffer
from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) have a genetic make
up that affects the body's ability to adapt to change, according
to a series of papers released today by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These papers,
which analyze the most detailed and comprehensive clinical
study on CFS to date, are published in the April issue of
Pharmacogenomics.
Over the past
year, CDC scientists have worked with experts in medicine,
molecular biology, epidemiology, genomics, mathematics,
engineering, and physics to analyze and interpret information
gathered from 227 CFS patients. The information was gathered
during a study in which volunteers spent two days in a hospital
research ward. During this time, they underwent detailed
clinical evaluations, measurement of sleep physiology, cognitive
function, autonomic nervous system function, and extensive
blood evaluations, including an assessment of the activity
of 20,000 genes, in an attempt to identify factors that
potentially cause or are related to CFS.
"This study
demonstrates that the physiology of people with CFS is not
able to adapt to the many challenges and stresses encountered
throughout life, such as infection, injury and other adverse
events during life," said Dr. William C Reeves, who
heads CDC's CFS public health research program. "These
findings are important because they will help to focus our
research efforts to identify diagnostic tools and more effective
treatments which ultimately could alleviate a lot of pain
and suffering."
The multidisciplinary
approach to this study, which has been termed C3 or the
CFS Computational Challenge, was developed by the CDC's
Dr. Suzanne Vernon, Molecular Epidemiology Team Leader for
the CFS Research Laboratory. It is an approach that could
lead to advances with other diseases and disorders. "We
put together four teams of different experts and challenged
them to develop ways to integrate and analyze a wide range
of medical data so as to identify those things that could
improve the diagnosis, treatment, or understanding of CFS,"
Dr. Vernon said. "There is a clear biologic basis for
CFS, and knowing the molecular damage involved will help
us devise effective therapeutic intervention and control
strategies."
It's estimated
that over one million people in the United States alone
are sick with CFS. The condition takes a tremendous personal
and social toll - approximately $9 billion a year to the
nation and $20,000 per family. It occurs most frequently
in women ages 40-60 and can be as disabling as multiple
sclerosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The CDC is the
principal agency in the United States for protecting the
health and safety of all Americans. CDC is promoting CFS
awareness through a national media and education campaign
set to kick off later this spring.
The April issue
of Pharmacogenomics,
published by Future Medicine, includes 14 research papers,
the culmination of C3. The journal Pharmacogenomics is dedicated
to the rapid publication of original research on basic pharmacogenomics
research and its clinical applications. Published eight
times a year, the journal covers the effects of genetic
variablity on drug toxicity and efficacy, the characterization
of genetic mutations relevant to drug action, and the identification
of novel genomic targets for drug development.
For additional
information about the CFS Computational Challenge, including
a list of participants, visit www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/meetings/2005_09.htm
For additional
information about CFS visit www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/
For a list of
articles in the April issue of Pharmacogenomics visit
www.futuremedicine.com/toc/pgs/7/3
