Half of Fibromyalgia Patients Suffer from Nerve Damage

Half of Fibromyalgia Patients Suffer from Nerve Damage
http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/8503/20130730/half-fibromyalgia-patients-suffer-nerve-damage.htm

"Fibromyalgia, a disorder that's characterized by a widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues, damages the nerve fibers in the skin of many patients, and for some, shows evidence of a disease called small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN). Unlike fibromyalgia, which has few treatments and a relatively unknown cause, SFPN has a clear pathology and is known to be caused by certain medical symptoms which do respond to treatment in some instances. And fortunately, in some instances, some can even be cured."

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High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals alterations of intestinal microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals alterations of intestinal microbiota in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome patients.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23791918

Frémont M, Coomans D, Massart S, De Meirleir K.

Anaerobe. 2013 Aug;22:50-6. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2013.06.002. Epub 2013 Jun 19.

Source
R.E.D Laboratories NV, Z-1 Researchpark 100, 1731 Zellik, Belgium. Electronic address: mfremont@redlabs.be.

Abstract
Human intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the maintenance of host health by providing energy, nutrients, and immunological protection. Intestinal dysfunction is a frequent complaint in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients, and previous reports suggest that dysbiosis, i.e. the overgrowth of abnormal populations of bacteria in the gut, is linked to the pathogenesis of the disease. We used high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing to investigate the presence of specific alterations in the gut microbiota of ME/CFS patients from Belgium and Norway. 43 ME/CFS patients and 36 healthy controls were included in the study. Bacterial DNA was extracted from stool samples, PCR amplification was performed on 16S rRNA gene regions, and PCR amplicons were sequenced using Roche FLX 454 sequencer. The composition of the gut microbiota was found to differ between Belgian controls and Norwegian controls: Norwegians showed higher percentages of specific Firmicutes populations (Roseburia, Holdemania) and lower proportions of most Bacteroidetes genera. A highly significant separation could be achieved between Norwegian controls and Norwegian patients: patients presented increased proportions of Lactonifactor and Alistipes, as well as a decrease in several Firmicutes populations. In Belgian subjects the patient/control separation was less pronounced, however some abnormalities observed in Norwegian patients were also found in Belgian patients. These results show that intestinal microbiota is altered in ME/CFS. High-throughput sequencing is a useful tool to diagnose dysbiosis in patients and could help designing treatments based on gut microbiota modulation (antibiotics, pre and probiotics supplementation).

PMID: 23791918 [PubMed - in process]

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Migraine in gulf war illness and chronic fatigue syndrome: prevalence, potential mechanisms, and evaluation.

Migraine in gulf war illness and chronic fatigue syndrome: prevalence, potential mechanisms, and evaluation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23898301

Rayhan RU, Ravindran MK, Baraniuk JN.
Front Physiol. 2013 Jul 24;4:181. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00181. Print 2013.

Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Department of Medicine, Georgetown University Washington, DC, USA.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence of headache subtypes in Gulf War Illness (GWI) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) compared to controls.

 

Background: Approximately, 25% of the military personnel who served in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War have developed GWI. Symptoms of GWI and CFS have considerable overlap, including headache complaints. Migraines are reported in CFS. The type and prevalence of headaches in GWI have not been adequately assessed.

 

Methods: 50 GWI, 39 CFS and 45 controls had structured headache evaluations based on the 2004 International Headache Society criteria. All subjects had history and physical examinations, fatigue and symptom related questionnaires, measurements of systemic hyperalgesia (dolorimetry), and assessments for exclusionary conditions.

 

Results: Migraines were detected in 64% of GWI (odds ratio = 11.6 [4.1-32.5]) (mean [±95% CI]) and 82% of CFS subjects (odds ratio = 22.5 [7.8-64.8]) compared to only 13% of controls. There was a predominance of females in the CFS compared to GWI and controls. However, migraine status was independent of gender in GWI and CFS groups (x (2) = 2.7; P = 0.101). Measures of fatigue, pain, and other ancillary criteria were comparable between GWI and CFS subjects with and without headache.

 

Conclusion: The high prevalence of migraine in CFS was confirmed and extended to GWI subjects. GWI and CFS may share dysfunctional central pathophysiological pathways that contribute to migraine and subjective symptoms. The high migraine prevalence warrants the inclusion of a structured headache evaluation in GWI and CFS subjects, and treatment when present.

KEYWORDS:
central sensitization, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, fatigue, fibromyalgia, gulf war illness, migraine, neurolimbic pathway

PMID: 23898301

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Oral Argument: Sublingual Findings Challenge Key Assumptions about BPA Exposure

Oral Argument: Sublingual Findings Challenge Key Assumptions about BPA Exposure
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/121-a257/

"Key assumptions about bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and bioavailability may be off base, according to a new report in EHP that questions the traditional interpretation of biomonitoring data underlying current risk assessments of the chemical.1 Laboratory research suggests that BPA, a widely used chemical for polycarbonate plastics and other products, is an endocrine disruptor with potential adverse health effects involving reproduction, metabolism, and cancer.2,3"

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Necrostatin-1 Counteracts Aluminum's Neurotoxic Effects

Necrostatin-1 Counteracts Aluminum's Neurotoxic Effects
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130802094852.htm

"Investigators have linked aluminum accumulation in the brain as a possible contributing factor to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience sheds light on the mechanism underlying aluminum-induced neuronal cell death and identifies necrostatin-1 as a substance which counteracts several of aluminum's neurotoxic effects."

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Pesticide exposure and self-reported incident depression among wives in the Agricultural Health Study

Pesticide exposure and self-reported incident depression among wives in the Agricultural Health Study
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935113001096

Abstract

Background
Depression in women is a public health problem. Studies have reported positive associations between pesticides and depression, but few studies were prospective or presented results for women separately.

Objectives
We evaluated associations between pesticide exposure and incident depression among farmers' wives in the Agricultural Health Study, a prospective cohort study in Iowa and North Carolina.

Methods
We used data on 16,893 wives who did not report physician-diagnosed depression at enrollment (1993–1997) and who completed a follow-up telephone interview (2005–2010). Among these wives, 1054 reported physician diagnoses of depression at follow-up. We collected information on potential confounders and on ever use of any pesticide, 11 functional and chemical classes of pesticides, and 50 specific pesticides by wives and their husbands via self-administered questionnaires at enrollment. We used inverse probability weighting to adjust for potential confounders and to account for possible selection bias induced by the death or loss of 10,639 wives during follow-up. We used log-binomial regression models to estimate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results
After weighting for age at enrollment, state of residence, education level, diabetes diagnosis, and drop out, wives' incident depression was positively associated with diagnosed pesticide poisoning, but was not associated with ever using any pesticide. Use of individual pesticides or functional or chemical classes of pesticides was generally not associated with wives' depression. Among wives who never used pesticides, husbands' ever use of individual pesticides or functional or chemical classes of pesticides was generally not associated with wives' incident depression.

Conclusions
Our study adds further evidence that high level pesticide exposure, such as pesticide poisoning, is associated with increased risk of depression and sets a lower bound on the level of exposure related to depression, thereby providing reassurance that the moderate levels of pesticide exposure experienced by farmers' wives likely do not increase risk.

Abbreviations
2,4-D, 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid;
2,4,5-T, (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid;
2,4,5-TP, (RS)2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)propanonic acid;
CI, Confidence interval;
DDT, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane;
EPTC, S-ethyl dipropyl(thiocarbamate);
IQR, Interquartile range;
NIEHS, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences;
RR, Risk ratio

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Chemical board's unfinished investigations hinder agency mission, IG finds

Chemical board's unfinished investigations hinder agency mission, IG finds
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2013/08/02/13113/chemical-boards-unfinished-investigations-hinder-agency-mission-ig-finds

"The federal agency charged with investigating chemical accidents is weighed down by a backlog of unfinished investigations, hindering its ability to provide information and advice that could prevent future disasters, a report released this week by the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General concluded."

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