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In the world of medicine, there is
still a lot of biological mysteries to solve. Chronic
Fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one of those great unresolved mysteries, but a
Columbia University team brings us closer to understanding
this elusive disorder, find a specific metabolic footprint for
the condition that could lead to a new diagnostic tool for doctors.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also
known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is controversial
state identified by a variety of symptoms, severe fatigue
and muscle pain, allergies, depression, and impairment of memory. Other
that target specific symptoms, there is no effective treatment for
CFS, and despite a growing number of strong physiological evidence,
some in the medical community still persist in the labeling of a
Last year, a team of researchers from the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Mailman School of Public Health in Columbia University found that people with chronic fatigue syndrome were exhibited.
microbiome profiles that were unique to the disease. Compared to a
healthy control group, the researchers found that patients with CFS could
be identified by having abnormally high levels of certain bacteria in
l & # 39; intestine.
Following this research, the
the team undertook to study the particular profile of blood metabolites of SFC
patients and badyzed plasma samples from 50 patients with CFS compared
to 50 healthy control subjects. More than 500 different metabolic
biomarkers were examined and researchers settled on several
were significantly modified compared to the healthy control group.
When a predictive model was generated to diagnose CFS using these
blood biomarkers, the researchers achieved a precision rate of over 80
percent. A complete model was then generated by combining the
metabolic markers and microbiome markers previously studied. This
model could accurately predict the presence of CFS with 84 percent
certainty.
"This is a strong predictive model
this suggests that we are approaching the point where we will have
lab tests that will allow us to say with a high level of certainty
who has this disorder, "says Dorottya Nagy-Szakal, first author on
the new study.
Other than offering a path to a
essential diagnostic tool for the disorder, it is hoped that this research will better understand what is causing this devastating
condition. One result that researchers suggest is that animal models
to be developed that simulates these same metabolic and microbiome
Footprints If these animals subsequently develop symptoms of CFS
and behaviors that means that these specific parameters play a
causal role in the disorder.
"We are approaching the point
where we can develop animal models that will allow us to test various
hypotheses, as well as potential therapies, says W. Ian Lipkin,
Director of the Center for Infection and Immunity. "For example,
some patients could benefit from probiotics to adjust their
gastrointestinal microflora or drugs that activate certain
neurotransmitter systems. "
It is estimated that up to two million
people are suffering from CFS in the United States only. While the majority
doctors have come to accept it as a valid clinical physiological
condition, many are still reluctant to diagnose it because of the lack of
clearly defined biological markers. We hope that this research
will help in the diagnosis, and help in the development of treatments, for millions of patients
of this misunderstood condition.
The study was published in the journal
Scientific reports .
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