So, what causes CFS/ME? Well, the short answer is no-one really knows. It often starts following a viral infection. It can also be caused by stressful or traumatic events, some vaccines and certain chemicals, in particular: organophosphates. For me it started following a viral illness, and this certainly seems to be the most common cause.
There has been quite a lot of research over the years to try and find an explanation for CFS/ME, but until recently very little has been discovered. There was great excitement when a study in 2009 found fragments of a particular virus (XMRV) in the majority of patients with CFS/ME that they tested. However, it has since been found that this study used samples that were contaminated with this virus and the findings of the study have been retracted. No other research group has managed to find any link between CFS/ME and this or similar viruses.
There has been quite a lot of research over the years to try and find an explanation for CFS/ME, but until recently very little has been discovered. There was great excitement when a study in 2009 found fragments of a particular virus (XMRV) in the majority of patients with CFS/ME that they tested. However, it has since been found that this study used samples that were contaminated with this virus and the findings of the study have been retracted. No other research group has managed to find any link between CFS/ME and this or similar viruses.
More recently a study using the anti cancer drug: Rituximab has had very encouraging results. Of the 15 CFS/ME patients involved, 10 found that their symptoms improved after the drug being administered. Now this is very interesting as Rituximab is normally used to treat a form of cancer know as Lymphoma. Lymphoma effects the lymphatic system which involves lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell), and are part of the immune system. To be specific Rituximab targets B-lymphocytes and destroys them. Now I am not saying CFS/ME is a form of cancer. But the fact that destroying the B-lymphocytes with Rituximab helped reduce CFS/ME symptoms indicates that maybe the B-lymphocytes have something to do with causing CFS/ME.
Rituximab is also licensed to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an auto-immune disease (the body attacks itself)) and it has been used experimentally in several other auto-immune conditions. It is possible then, that CFS/ME may be an auto-immune disease. I say this with hope rather than conviction, because it would be nice to have a treatment for CFS/ME and a cause for it. However, it is very early days. One study involving 15 patients is very small, and much more research is needed to find out whether these initial findings are valid.
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