Preprints with The Lancet is part of SSRN´s First Look, a place where journals identify content of interest prior to publication. Authors have opted in at submission to The Lancet family of journals to post their preprints on Preprints with The Lancet. The usual SSRN checks and a Lancet-specific check for appropriateness and transparency have been applied. Preprints available here are not Lancet publications or necessarily under review with a Lancet journal. These preprints are early stage research papers that have not been peer-reviewed. The findings should not be used for clinical or public health decision making and should not be presented to a lay audience without highlighting that they are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed. For more information on this collaboration, see the comments published in The Lancet about the trial period, and our decision to make this a permanent offering, or visit The Lancet´s FAQ page, and for any feedback please contact preprints@lancet.com.
Predictors for Developing Severe ME/CFS Following Mononucleosis
14 Pages Posted: 7 Apr 2021
More...Abstract
Background : Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating illness affecting over a million people in the US. About 9-12% of individuals develop this syndrome six months following Infectious Mononucleosis (IM); those who meet > 1 set of criteria for ME/CFS are termed severe ME/CFS. We sought to determine why some individuals develop ME/CFS following IM while most recover.
Methods: Our study was a prospective cohort study conducted at Northwestern University. We recruited a cohort of college students before, during, and after being infected with IM. Those who developed IM were followed-up with at six months to determine whether they recovered or met criteria for ME/CFS. We explored baseline levels and severity at follow-up of IM variables for those who recovered from IM and those who developed severe ME/CFS 6 months following IM.
Findings: Pre-illness variables that differentiated these groups included baseline gastrointestinal symptoms and certain cytokines. At onset of IM, gastrointestinal symptoms differentiated the two groups.
Interpretation: The differences that emerged predicted the onset of severe ME/CFS following IM. Our research has thus uncovered risk factors predisposing to non-recovery following IM so that preventative and treatment strategies for ME/CFS may now be devised and studied.
Funding: This work was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [grant number AI 105781].
Declaration of Interest: The authors declare no competing interests.
Ethical Approval: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.
Keywords: Networks, Cytokines, Infectious Mononucleosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation