Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Long COVID
Conditions
Keywords
ME/CFS, Long COVID, Endothelial dysfunction
Brief summary
Post-infection chronic fatigue syndromes, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and post-COVID-19 condition (Long Covid), are conditions primarily characterized by debilitating fatigue. This fatigue can range from mild, where patients are still able to participate in some social activities (e.g., school, work), to moderate and severe, where sufferers are predominantly homebound and bedridden. As a result, ME/CFS and Long Covid not only negatively impact the quality of life of affected individuals and their caregivers but also represent a substantial and often silent burden on healthcare systems worldwide, including Austria. This is primarily because most cases remain undiagnosed due to the lack of standardized clinical assessments and diagnostic markers. Endothelial dysfunction, which is well known to affect blood flow, oxygen and nutrient delivery, and waste removal in the body, has been described as one of the key factors behind the symptoms experienced by ME/CFS and Long Covid patients. However, the mechanisms that might explain the development of endothelial dysfunction remain largely unexplored. Therefore, this project aims to evaluate key biological aspects related to the function of endothelial cells - a layer of cells lining blood vessels - using plasma samples from an Austrian cohort of ME/CFS and Long Covid patients. We expect that the findings from our study will provide new insights to better understand endothelial dysfunction in post-infection chronic fatigue syndromes, leading to improved patient stratification and tailored treatment alternatives.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
FH Joanneum Gesellschaft mbH
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
RETROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
The inclusion criteria for ME/CFS patients not infected with SARS-CoV-2 (n=17; females: 70.59%; age (years): 40.10 ± 10.80) and Long-Covid patients (n=30; females: 73.4%; age (years): 37.70 ± 9.96) include profound fatigue and at least one of the following symptoms: PEM, autonomic dysfunction, and/or orthostatic intolerance. All participants were included only if they were at least 12 weeks past an acute EBV infection and/or 10 weeks past an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 specific IgA (A) and IgG (B) antibody titers were measured using commercial test kits (Anti-SARS-CoV-2-ELISA (IgA) and Anti-SARS-CoV-2-QuantiVac-ELISA (IgG); Euroimmun, Germany) in plasma samples.
Exclusion criteria
Participants'
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Circulating levels of L-arginine metabolites | 6 months | Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) |
| Markers of endothelial inflammation | 6 months | ELISA |
| Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in endothelial cells | 6 months | Fluorometric assay |
| Endothelial permeability | 6 months | 3D culture model |
| Angiogenesis | 6 months | 3D culture model |
| Epigenetic and transcriptomic patterns in endothelial cells | 6 months | Genome wide DNA methylation and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) |
Countries
Austria
Outcome results
None listed