Genetics: Chromosome 6 BTN2A2 and BTN3A3 (BTN2A1)

[Kitty]

Hypothalamus, yes, but most of us have been unconvinced by the role of cortisol and I personally do not see how it could explain the clinical picture.

What did you think about the apparent loss of a specific type of neuron in postmortem ME/CFS brains? It's a very small sample, but the finding looked interesting all the same.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

It's a very small sample, but the finding looked interesting all the same.

that's what I think.

 

[Hutan]

It's disappointing to see Chris using that Vroegindeweij violin chart on hair cortisol. I've discussed those hair cortisol findings here (see also other posts upthread of that one). That Knoop team's study is small and unreliable, and the 12 people with ME/CFS had a mean hair cortisol level well in excess of the controls after a three month behavioural intervention (despite the increases in hair cortisol not being linked to recovery*). Those people were reportedly able to increase hair cortisol levels in response to the challenge of the intervention, but that did not make them well.

Three other studies did not find differences in hair cortisol.

We urgently need a study to see if that finding of CRH neuron loss is replicated. I understand that it seems like a beguilingly neat answer to the problem of ME/CFS, and perhaps it is the answer, but it is very hard to square with an unbiased assessment of the findings on cortisol in ME/CFS.

* ME/CFS group mean hair cortisol level went from 0.49 at baseline to 0.70 post-intervention. Control mean was 0.59.