Decreased Expression of TRPM3 and mAChRM3 in the Small Intestine in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (2018) Staines et al

Simone

Simone

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Authors: Marshall-Gradisnik, Fretel, Eaton, Cabanas, Balinas, Gopalan, Petersen, Passmore, Tang, Haque, Lam, and Staines

Journal: International Journal of Clinical Medicine (May, 2018)

ABSTRACT
Introduction
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is often associated with gastrointestinal disturbance and inflammatory markers; however, there have been no histological studies performed in the small intestine from CFS/ME patients. The aim of this investigation was to assess the expression of certain inflammatory markers and inflammatory receptors, namely transient receptor potential melastin 3 (TRPM3) ion channels and muscarinic acetylcholine M3 (mAChRM3) receptors, in small intestinal tissues in a case controlled study comprising a CFS/ME patient and a healthy non-fatigued control.

Method
Immunohistochemistry was performed on a small intestinal biopsy from a CFS/ME patient (age = 50; female) with self-reported symptoms of gastrointestinal disturbance and a non-fatigued control (NFC), (age = 28; female). Semi-quantitative analysis of expression was undertaken for interferon-gamma (IFNy), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), TRPM3 ion channels and mAChRM3 acetylcholine receptors.

Results
There was significantly decreased expression of TRPM3 in the CFS/ME patient (35% ± 9%) and a significant decrease in mAChRM3 in the CFS/ME patient (54% ± 9%). There was no difference in IL-1α between CFS/ME patient and NFC, however; there was an increase in IFNy (13% ± 6%) in the CFS/ME patient compared to NFC. There was a difference observed in TNFα in CFS/ME compared to NFC.

Conclusion
Differences were noted in the expression of specific TRP ion channels and cholinergic receptors in CFS/ME compared with NFC, with CFS/ME demonstrating decreased TRPM3 and mAChRM3. Further, IFNy was increased, and TNFα decreased, in the small intestine of the CFS/ME patient with reported gastrointestinal disturbance.

Full paper:
https://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=85005
 
Yeah, and the ME/CFS patient was 50 and the healthy control was 28...

I really want this team to be producing great things. But I keep feeling a bit concerned. Why would you not wait to do the biopsies on a handful more patients and controls before publishing?
 
This was reported in the abstract
Simone said:
Results
There was significantly decreased expression of TRPM3 in the CFS/ME patient (35% ± 9%) and a significant decrease in mAChRM3 in the CFS/ME patient (54% ± 9%).
Click to expand...

and this in the main body of the text,
There was a significant reduction observed in TRPM3 in mucosal lymphocytes in the CFS/ME patient (0%) compared with the NFC (35% ± 9%). There was a significant decrease in mAChRM3 in the CFS/ME patient (0%) compared with NFC (54% ± 9%).
Click to expand...

To me, the actual results, where the ME/CFS patient had no TRPM3 or mAChRM3 at all (a 100% reduction compared to the control) are a lot more interesting than what I had interpreted the abstract said (i.e. a 35% and 54% reduction). The sample is still way to small to draw any conclusions but I'll look for a bigger study on this with more interest.
 
Simone said:
however, there have been no histological studies performed in the small intestine from CFS/ME patients.
Click to expand...

I saw this study on twitter under this headline, that a biopsy has never been done in ME-patients. That is not true, I know at least one small study where there were biopsies done in patients and controls and pretty big differences where found.
 
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