title: Normal production of inflammatory cytokines in chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia syndromes determined by intracellular cytokine staining in short-term cultured blood mononuclear cells.
abstract: It has been proposed that cytokines play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). However, different studies have reported conflicting results using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or polymerase chain reaction to detect cytokines in these conditions. In the present study, for the first time, the production of inflammatory [interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-6, and TNF-alpha] and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokines by CD14+ and CD14- peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients and sex- and age-matched normal subjects was investigated at the level of individual cells using the technique of intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry. Cultures were carried out in the presence of polymyxin B to inhibit the effect of endotoxins on cytokine production by monocytes. The mean intensity of fluorescence (MIF) and percentage of CD14+ (monocytes) and CD14- (lymphocytes) cytokine-producing mononuclear cells were comparable in patients and controls in either unstimulated or IFN-gamma-stimulated conditions. Our study indicates that dysregulation of cytokine production by circulating monocytes or non-monocytic cells (lymphocytes) is not a dominant factor in the pathogenesis of CFS/FMS.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular and Clinical Immunology, School of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Amel Kashipaz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Swinden
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Powell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis*; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10