The physio-pathological abnormalities, which distinguish a patient with ME from other diseases




Is it possible to diagnose ME/CFS ?
(Source : ME/cvs Vereniging Nederland, www.me-cvsvereniging.nl)

 This is such an important presentation - to show to anyone who doubts that ME is real !

 Professor  K. De Meirleir succiently  outlines some of the physio-pathological abnormalities – which distinguish a patient with ME from other diseases :

  • Dysfunctional immune system - chronic infections which hardly ever occur in normal people .
  • Underlying intestine disorders– dysbiosis, gut permeability.
  • Problems of oxidative stress leading to DNA impairment, impaired proteins and structures .
  • Faulty  mitochondria  – shortage of oxygen and energy supply in body.
  • Cardiac abnormalities, heat defects, heart not being filled completely, too little blood volume, poor blood circulation .
  •  Exercise capacity very important – in early stages little reduction in exercise capacity, but as years progress exercise capacity decreases quickly- much faster than in normal ageing.
  • Diaphragm starts to function less well- will almost stop moving or move less well.
  • The resulting ventilation reduction is quite spectacular and clearly present. The recuperation after minimal effort can be badly affected – taking some people a week to recover from walking 100 yards – not something you find in normal people.
  • Neurological abnormalities – with studies showing the grey substance or brain substance is reduced. 
  • Disorders such as malfunctioning of short term memory, the recalling of words can be severely disturbed – patients thinking they have Alzheimer's.
  • Increased sensitivity to stress, disturbance in the hypothalamic -pituitary-adrenal axis, resulting in reduced cortisol (patients with depression have raised cortisol). 
  • Various muscle abnormalities, malfunction at the molecular level of the ionic channels.

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 27, 2013 at 6:51 AM

    De Meirlier is not advocating using a objective differential diagnosis for ME, he states he wants to use mixed cohorts. He says he doesn't want to exclude people with other fatiguing disorders. And in his research he uses the Fukuda CFS criteria.

    Why is he saying mixed cohorts are positive? They are a negative. They will never help any patient and no scientist would use them.

    Many of those abnormalities are also found in people with atypical depression.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 27, 2013 at 6:58 AM

      Imagine a trial for a treatment for MS where most of the patients dont even have MS.

      Delete
    2. Holy WayFebruary 27, 2013 at 8:04 AM

      Thank you so much - the best thing, I think, is that I write to Prof De Merlier with your point and ask him to clarify.

      Delete

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