title: Frequent IgG subclass and mannose binding lectin deficiency in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
abstract: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a severe disease characterized by various symptoms of immune dysfunction. CFS onset is typically with an infection and many patients suffer from frequently recurrent viral or bacterial infections. Immunoglobulin and mannose binding lectin (MBL) deficiency are frequent causes for increased susceptibility to infections. In this study we retrospectively analysed 300 patients with CFS for immunoglobulin and MBL levels, and B-cell subset frequencies. 25% of the CFS patients had decreased serum levels of at least one antibody class or subclass with IgG3 and IgG4 subclass deficiencies as most common phenotypes. However, we found elevated immunoglobulin levels with an excess of IgM and IgG2 in particular in another 25% of patients. No major alteration in numbers of B cells and B-cell subsets was seen. Deficiency of MBL was found in 15% of the CFS patients in contrast to 6% in a historical control group. In a 2nd cohort of 168 patients similar frequencies of IgG subclass and MBL deficiency were found. Thus, humoral immune defects are frequent in CFS patients and are associated with infections of the respiratory tract.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guenther
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Madlen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loebel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Agnes A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mooslechner
authors.affiliation: Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knops
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Leif G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Hanitsch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grabowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wittke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Labor Berlin GmbH, Immunology Department, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meisel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Labor Berlin GmbH, Immunology Department, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Unterwalder
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Dieter
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: carmen.scheibenbogen@charite.de.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scheibenbogen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000097:blood / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D012008:Recurrence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin
keywords: Chronic fatigue syndrome; Immunoglobulin; Mannose binding lectin