title: Immunologic and psychosocial status in chronic fatigue syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the immunologic functions and psychosocial status in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five patients with CFS diagnosed by the international CFS definition criteria and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited. Depression was assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and health status was assessed by Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were measured to identify the following NK cell subsets: CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD56 and cytokine measurements were performed for IL2r, IL6 and IL8 in both patients and control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BDI and NHP scores of CFS group were found to be significantly higher than in the control group. The absolute numbers of CD56 cell were also significantly decreased in the patients with CFS compared with the healthy controls. There were no other significant differences of NK cell activity (CD3, CD4 and CD8) and there were significant differences in IL6 and IL2r levels between patients and controls. There were significant correlations between serum IL-6 level and sleep, social isolation and physical ability NHP subscores, and betweenCD56 NK cell activity and emotional reaction NHP sub score in CFS patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significantly higher ratios of psychological and physical disturbances were found in patients with CFS. Decreased CD56 NK cell activity and increased IL2r levels seem to be important immunopathologic changes in CFS. IL-6 and CD 56 NK cell activity may play an important role in sleep, physical, social, and physicological manifestations of CFS (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 36). Full Text in free PDF www.bmj.sk.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. knas@dicle.edu.tr
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cevik
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Batum
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sarac
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalkanli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines