renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system – American ME and CFS Society

Abstract:

AIM: The chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with alterations in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and cardiovascular autonomic nervous activity, suggesting a central dysregulation. This study explored differences among adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome patients and healthy controls regarding antidiuretic hormone, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system, sex hormones and cardiac peptides.

METHODS: We included a consecutive sample of 67 adolescents aged 12-18 years with chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosed according to a thorough and standardized set of investigations, and a volunteer sample of 55 healthy control subjects of equal gender and age distribution. Hormones were assayed with standard laboratory methods.

RESULTS: Among patients, plasma antidiuretic hormone was significantly decreased and serum osmolality and plasma renin activity were significantly increased (p < or = 0.001). Serum concentration of aldosterone, cortisol, NT-proBNP and sex hormones were not significantly different in the two groups.

CONCLUSION: Chronic fatigue syndrome in adolescents is associated with alterations in hormonal systems controlling osmolality and blood volume, possibly supporting a theory of central dysregulation.

Source: Wyller VB, Evang JA, Godang K, Solhjell KK, Bollerslev J. Hormonal alterations in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome. Acta Paediatr. 2010 May;99(5):770-3. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01701.x. Epub 2010 Mar 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20199497

Abstract:

The relationship between orthostatic hypotension and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been reported previously. To study the pathogenesis and management of delayed orthostatic hypotension in patients with CFS, a case comparison study with follow-up of 8 weeks has been designed.

A group of 78 patients with CFS (mean age 40 years; 49% men and 51% women), who fulfilled the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were studied. There were 38 healthy controls (mean age 43 years; 47% men and 53% women).

At entry to the study each subject underwent an upright tilt-table test, and clinical and laboratory evaluation. Patients with orthostatic hypotension were offered therapy with sodium chloride (1200 mg) in a sustained-release formulation for 3 weeks, prior to resubmission to the tilt-table testing, and clinical and laboratory evaluation.

An abnormal response to upright tilt was observed in 22 of 78 patients with CFS. After sodium chloride therapy for 8 weeks, tilt-table testing was repeated on the 22 patients with an abnormal response at baseline. Of these 22 patients, 10 redeveloped orthostatic hypotension, while 11 did not show an abnormal response to the test and reported an improvement of CFS symptoms.

However, those CFS patients who again developed an abnormal response to tilt-test had a significantly reduced plasma renin activity (0.79 pmol/ml per h) compared both with healthy controls (1.29 pmol/ml per h) and with those 11 chronic fatigue patients (1.0 pmol/ml per h) who improved after sodium chloride therapy (p = 0.04).

In conclusion, in our study CFS patients who did not respond to sodium chloride therapy were found to have low plasma renin activity. In these patients an abnormal renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system could explain the pathogenesis of orthostatic hypotension and the abnormal response to treatment.

Source: De Lorenzo F, Hargreaves J, Kakkar VV. Pathogenesis and management of delayed orthostatic hypotension in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Clin Auton Res. 1997 Aug;7(4):185-90. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9292244