Telomere attrition in the CD4+, CD8+, Band NK cells of ME/CFS patients: A Pilot Project

Abstract: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a multifactorial,chronicdisorder characterized by debilitating fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and chronic immune dysregulation, with an unknown etiology. As some symptoms and risk factors of ME/CFS overlap with those seen in premature aging, this pilot study examined whether telomere attrition is increased in ME/CFS. CD4+, CD8+, Band NK cells were isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from American and Spanish cohorts of ME/CFS patients and age- and BMI-matched healthy controls (HC). We used quantitative PCR (qPCR) to measure the signal from telomeres relative to the signal from the single copy gene. The mean 8Ct values of cog+ T cells from ME/CFS patients were notably greater than those of healthy controls. At the same time, CD4+ and NK cells had similar trends. Conversely, the 8Ct values of B cells were smaller in ME/CFS than in healthy controls. These results indicate that there may be greater telomere stability in CD8+ T cells from ME/CFS patients. We suggest that this may occur due to a dilferent T cell subset profile, hypometabolism, and chronic immune dysregulation in ME/CFS. However, further testing with larger cohorts is necessary, to confirm trends and their relevance to ME/CFS pathophysiology.