What is CFS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Should we be uncovering immune dysfunction as the main symptom or possibly the trigger for this illness? Do you need a window of vulnerability in your life for it to show up or a host of other illnesses to manifest within you before your health comes tumbling down? All or little of this is possible.

More and more illnesses are being studied with this goal in mind: to determine if a window of vulnerability is present. For CFS, major researchers are uncovering immune dysfunction, why it is happening, how it is coming to be and who is vulnerable.

Take the case of researcher Dr. Mady Hornig of the Center of Infection and Immunity at Colombia University…

(Today’s audio podcast is 9 minutes 3 seconds.)

She is also head of the Pathogen Discovery and Pathogenesis Program of the Chronic Fatigue Initiative (CFI). Through her research, Dr. Hornig is working on a database of the following Chronic Fatigue Syndrome studies at her laboratory:

1. 
   
2. 200/200 Cases and controls with Chronic Fatigue Initiative – 18 pathogens identified, then unbiased high throughput sequencing – pretty much tell us anything that is in there
   
3. 150/150 cases/controls in XMRV study
   
4. 400/400 cases/controls in huge Montoya Stanford study
   
5. 60 cases/60 controls Simmaron Spinal Fluid Study
   

While all of the work is important, she finds the Spinal Fluid Study to be the most valuable “calling it really intriguing, calling the number of well-characterized spinal fluid samples unparalleled, and stating the study was a unique opportunity.”

She sees connections between immune dysfunction illnesses and neuropsychiatric disorders. This includes some of the big, more well known ones (like depression, bi-polar disorder, compulsive obssessive disorder and schizophrenia), but also CFS-like disorders (such as ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, etc.). And then…maybe…also autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

Now before you click out of this post without even checking out Dr. Hornig’s research, consider that we don’t know what is a trigger to CFS or Fibromyalgia. There are many possibilities. Maybe our genetic heritage sets us up and when the right trigger comes along. Off goes whole system…down the rabbit hole. According to the data, physical and psychiatric symptoms are often mixed. It doesn’t mean that any of us are crazy and/or malingerers. It simply means that there is probably more information that we do not know about CFS and FMS than what we do know!

Supposing that there are connections between pre-events, Dr. Hornig is looking for likely, possible triggers. One triggering event she studies is pregnancy, making for allowance that the manifesting illness (whatever it turns out to be) may not show up for 20 or 30 years.

Her other big focus is the infection vs. autoimmune connection. Most people sense there is a connection here, but she notes that “other autoimmune disorders can take years to show up making it difficult to determine the trigger. If it was a pathogen, it could’ve and may very well have done it’s damage and then disappeared, leaving a chronically disrupted immune system in its wake.”

We’ve heard that haven’t we? You had EBV, Epstein Barr Virus decades ago. Now there are no active antibodies in your system………but, you’re now sick with a similar-type illness.

In the articles referenced above, you’ll find the following interesting topics addressed at length:

A Possible Model for ME/CFS

General Stress Response Affected

Key Partners – The Stress Hormone-Immune System Interactions

~~~~and finally~~~~

The Gut Connection

As you read, I urge you NOT to stick your head in the sand and assume that when the word “psychiatric” is mentioned that you should automatically tune out what is being said. We all want to know the truth. In this case, Dr. Hornig is working on uncovering immune dysfunction in CFS and wherever else this research may lead us.

Cinda Crawford

Your host of the Health Matters Show