Tag: TGF-beta

Effects of mild exercise on cytokines and cerebral blood flow in chronic fatigue syndrome patients

 

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an idiopathic disorder characterized by fatigue that is markedly exacerbated by physical exertion. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that mild exercise (walking 1 mph [1 mile = 1.609 km] for 30 min) would provoke serum cytokine and cerebral blood flow abnormalities of potential pathogenic importance in CFS.

Interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha were nondetectable in sera of CFS patients (n = 10) and healthy control subjects (n = 10) pre- and postexercise. At rest, serum transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) levels were elevated in the CFS group compared with the control group (287 +/- 18 versus 115 +/- 5 pg/ml, respectively; P < 0.01). Serum TGF-beta and cerebral blood flow abnormalities, detected by single-photon emission-computed tomographic scanning, were accentuated postexercise in the CFS group.

Although these findings were not significantly different from those in the control group, the effect of exercise on serum TGF-beta and cerebral blood flow appeared magnified in the CFS patients. Results of this study encourage future research on the interaction of physical exertion, serum cytokines, and cerebral blood flow in CFS that will adopt a more rigorous exercise program than the one used in this study.

 

Source: Peterson PK, Sirr SA, Grammith FC, Schenck CH, Pheley AM, Hu S, Chao CC. Effects of mild exercise on cytokines and cerebral blood flow in chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 1994 Mar;1(2):222-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC368231/

You can read the full article here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC368231/pdf/cdli00002-0112.pdf

 

Altered cytokine release in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an idiopathic illness associated with a variety of immunologic abnormalities. To investigate potential pathogenetic mechanisms, we evaluated serum levels and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) production of selected cytokines and immunoglobulins.

Serum bioactive transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) levels were higher (P less than 0.01) in patients with CFS (290 +/- 46 pg/mL) than in control subjects (104 +/- 18 pg/mL), but levels of other cytokines tested were not different. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated release of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha was increased (P less than 0.05) in PBMC cultures from patients with CFS versus control subjects; enhanced (P less than 0.01) IL-6 release to phytohemagglutinin was also observed.

In contrast, TGF-beta release in response to lipopolysaccharide was depressed (P less than 0.01) in PBMC cultures derived from patients with CFS. No differences in IL-2 and IL-4 or immunoglobulin production were observed.

The enhanced release of inflammatory cytokines by stimulated PBMC from patients with CFS suggests that these cells are primed for an increased response to immune stimuli. These data also suggest an association between abnormal regulation of TGF-beta production in vivo and in vitro with the immunologic consequence of CFS.

 

Source: Chao CC1, Janoff EN, Hu SX, Thomas K, Gallagher M, Tsang M, Peterson PK. Altered cytokine release in peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures from patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome. Cytokine. 1991 Jul;3(4):292-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1873478