Human activin B in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling clinical condition characterized by unexplained and persistent post exertional fatigue accompanied by a variety of symptoms related to cognitive, immunological, endocrinological, and autonomous dysfunction. Activin B level can induce a loss of muscle mass. Taking together immune dysregulation and the loss of muscle mass suggests that the activin B is potentially involved in the pathogenesis of CFS/ME, given the prominence of muscle weakness and pain as diagnostic criteria across the various case definitions. According to the available literature the role of activin B in ME/CFS has been studied by one group of researchers from Australia. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical utility of activin B as a biomarker for ME/CFS. 79 patients [22 male (30–76 years old) and 57 females (24-78 years old)] with clinically diagnosed ME/CFS corresponding to 1994 Fukuda criteria and 30 healthy controls were recruited for this study. Measurement of human activin B level in plasma samples were conducted using validated Human Activin B ELISA assay from LifeSpan BioSciences, USA. Our results clearly show that there is no difference on activin B level between patients and controls - activin B levels in plasma samples of 79 patients and also 30 healthy controls were less than 15.63 pg/ml. This is not in line with previously published data reporting on significantly elevated activin B level in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy controls. Up to now activin B have not been reported to be elevated or reduced in other diseases. The results of the study to date do not agree with those previously published, which suggested that activin B may be a biomarker in ME/CFS. However, in order to draw definitive conclusions, we plan to increase the study and control groups.