Hormones, proteins, and antibodies
What are the roles of hormones, proteins, and antibodies in ME / CFS? To answer these questions, OMF is currently funding the research of Jonas Bergquist, MD, PhD, a Professor at Uppsala University and a member of our Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Bergquist is measuring proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and blood plasma from a small cohort of Swedish ME / CFS patients. Some of the latest details and updates on Dr. Bergquist’s research are:
1. Steroid hormonal dysregulation. To determine whether steroid hormones are part of the pathophysiology of ME / CFS, he will measure the levels of 22 steroids in the plasma of patients and healthy controls.
2. Autoantibodies. Preliminary data suggest that certain kinds of autoantibodies (specifically, those against muscarinic and beta-adernergic receptors) are more common in ME / CFS patients than in the general population. Bergquist’s study will validate this preliminary finding using a separate set of patients and controls.
3. Proteomics. Since many studies suggest neuroinflammatory involvement in ME / CFS, Dr. Bergquist is also measuring approximately 100 proteins related to pain and neuroinflammation in ME / CFS patients, patients with chronic pain, and patients with fibromyalgia.
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