Tag: oxytocin

Influence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Codiagnosis on the Relationship between Perceived and Objective Psychoneuro-Immunoendocrine Disorders in Women with Fibromyalgia

Abstract:

Although the predominant symptom in fibromyalgia (FM) is muscle pain, and fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), differential diagnosis is very difficult. This research investigates the psychoneuroimmunoendocrine disorders of FM patients and ascertains whether a previous CFS diagnosis affected them.

Through accelerometry objective parameters, physical activity/sedentarism levels in relation to fatigue are studied, as well as whether perceived levels of stress, anxiety, and pain correspond to objective biomarkers, all of these with respect to a reference group (RG) of women without FM.

FM patients have a worse psychological state and perceived quality of life than those with RG. These perceived outcomes are consistent with impaired objective levels of a sedentary lifestyle, higher systemic levels of cortisol and noradrenaline, and lower levels of serotonin.

However, FM patients with a previous CFS diagnosis had lower systemic levels of IL-8, cortisol, oxytocin, and higher levels of adrenaline and serotonin than FM patients without diagnosed CFS.

In conclusion, while perceived health parameters do not detect differences, when objective neuroimmunoendocrine parameters related to stress, inflammation, pain, and fatigue are used, people with CFS could be overdiagnosed with FM. This reinforces the need for objective biomarker assessment of these patients for better diagnostic discrimination between both syndromes.

Source: Otero E, Gálvez I, Ortega E, Hinchado MD. Influence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Codiagnosis on the Relationship between Perceived and Objective Psychoneuro-Immunoendocrine Disorders in Women with Fibromyalgia. Biomedicines. 2023; 11(5):1488. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11051488 https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/11/5/1488 (Full text)

Oxytocin, the panacea for long-COVID? a review

Abstract:

Objectives: In this hypothesis paper we explore the underlying mechanisms for long-COVID and how the oxytocinergic neurones could be infected by SARS-CoV-2 leading to a reduction in plasma oxytocin (OXT). Furthermore, we aim to review the relevance of OXT and hypothalamic function in recovery from long-COVID symptoms and pathology, through exploring the pro-health effects of the OXT neuropeptide.

Methods: A review of published literature was surveyed using Google Scholar and PubMed.

Results: Numerous experimental data can be shown to correlate with OXT and long-COVID symptoms and conditions, thus providing strong circumstantial evidence to support our hypothesis. It is postulated that the reduction in plasma OXT due to acute and post-viral damage to the hypothalamus and oxytocinergic neurones contributes to the variable multi-system, remitting and relapsing nature of long-COVID. The intranasal route of OXT application was determined to be most appropriate and clinically relevant for the restoration of oxytocinergic function post COVID-19 infection.

Conclusions: We believe it is imperative to further investigate whether OXT alleviates the prolonged suffering of patients with long-COVID. Succinctly, OXT may be the much-needed post-pandemic panacea.

Source: Diep, Phuoc-Tan, Chaudry, Mohammed, Dixon, Adam, Chaudry, Faisal and Kasabri, Violet. “Oxytocin, the panacea for long-COVID? a review” Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation, vol. , no. , 2022. https://doi.org/10.1515/hmbci-2021-0034 (Full text)