rted measurement of glutathione in the cerebral cortex of the brain of pat=
ients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) usi=
ng proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. =20
The abstract of this paper is below. Their conclusion was that they found=
no evidence that cerebral glutathione levels are decreased in CFS/ME rela=
tive to normal levels.
I was surprised at this result, given the large number of test results I=
have reviewed showing glutathione depletion in blood plasma, as well as=
some results from red blood cells or whole blood. There are also publica=
tions reporting glutathione depletion in CFS/ME patients, some of which we=
re cited by these authors.
On further examination of this paper, I noted that the mean values of the=
parameter used to quantify glutathione in this study were 2.703 for 13=
CFS/ME patients, and 5.191 for 13 matched normal controls. (There are no=
units on this derived parameter.) However, the standard deviations of th=
e data for these two mean values were 2.311 and 8.984, respectively. Beca=
use of these large standard deviations, the difference between the mean va=
lues was not statistically significant (p=3D0.361).
I wrote to Professor Puri and asked if it would be fair to say that their=
study lacked sufficient statistical power to determine whether glutathion=
e is indeed depleted in the brains of CFS/ME patients. He responded that=
this potential explanation of their results =E2=80=9Cdoes make sense.=E2=
=80=9D He agreed that a further, larger study with greater statistical po=
wer is needed to examine this question, and expressed his willingness to=
carry out such a study if funding could be found.
I very much appreciated his response.
In view of this, I think it is correct to say that this study does not pro=
vide any evidence contradicting the hypothesis that glutathione is deplete=
d in CFS/ME patients, and in particular in the brains of these patients.=
I=E2=80=99m hopeful that a larger study can be done in the future to tes=
t this hypothesis.
Rich Van Konynenburg, Ph.D. (richvank@aol.com)
Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009 Nov 9
An in vivo proton neurospectroscopy study of cerebral oxidative stress in=
myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome).
Puri BK, Agour M, Gunatilake KD, Fernando KA, Gurusinghe AI, Treasaden IH.
MRI Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imper=
ial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London=
W12 0HS, England, UK.
A particularly important family of antioxidant defence enzymes in the body=
are the glutathione peroxidases, which remove H(2)O(2) by coupling its re=
duction to H(2)O with oxidation of reduced glutathione (GSH) to oxidised=
glutathione (GSSG). There are suggestions that GSH in the peripheral bloo=
d may be reduced in myalgic encephalomyelitis, which is a highly disabling=
neurological disease of unknown aetiology. Since many of the symptoms rel=
ate to cerebral functioning, it would seem probable that peripheral blood=
GSH findings would be reflected in lower cerebral GSH levels. The aim of=
this study was to carry out the first direct assessment of cerebral GSH=
levels in myalgic encephalomyelitis; the hypothesis being tested was that=
cerebral GSH levels would be reduced in myalgic encephalomyelitis. Cerebr=
al proton neurospectroscopy was carried out at a magnetic field strength=
of 3T in 26 subjects; spectra were obtained from 20x20x20mm(3) voxels usi=
ng a point-resolved spectroscopy pulse sequence. The mean cerebral GSH lev=
el in the myalgic encephalomyelitis patients was 2.703 (SD 2.311) which di=
d not differ significantly from that in age- and gender-matched normal con=
trols who did not have any history of neurological or other major medical=
disorder (5.191, SD 8.984; NS). Therefore our study does not suggest that=
GSH is reduced in the brain in myalgic encephalomyelitis. At the present=
time, based on the results of this study, there is no evidence to support=
the suggestion that, by taking glutathione supplements, an improvement in=
the brain-related symptomatology of myalgic encephalomyelitis may occur.
PMID: 19906518 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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