Volgens een onlangs gepubliceerde studie van Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik en collega's

is de methylering van 120 CpG eilanden ("aanknopingspunten" voor genexpressie)

in CD4+ afweercellen van ME/CVS-patiënten afwijkend van die bij gezonde proefpersonen.

Methylering van een gen, onderdeel van een epigenetisch aanpassingsproces,

belemmert de expressie van dat gen en dus de productie van het bijbehorende eiwit.

Vreemd genoeg, of niet, was de methylering van genen veelal lager in ME/CVS.

Van ca. 70 genen met afwijkende methylering is de functie (ongeveer) bekend.

Die genen zijn betrokken bij o.m. apoptose ("zelfdoding" van cellen) en de cel-ontwikkeling.

Genen die volgens de KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway-analyse

het meest in het oog springen, zijn: HLA-C and HLA-DQB1, twee afweersysteem-gerelateerde genen.

Nu maar hopen dat de methylering van genen wél naar de psychotherapeut luisteren...

Methylation profile of CD4+ T cells in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

J Clin Cell Immunol. 2014. 5:3. doi: 10.4172/2155-9899.1000228.

Brenu EW, Staines DR, Marshall-Gradisnik SM.

Received date: March 28, 2014,

Accepted date: June 13, 2014,

Published date: June 20, 2014

Abstract

Objective:

Methylation is known to regulate biological processes and

alterations in methylation patterns have been associated with a variety of diseases.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)

is an unexplained disorder

associated with immunological and molecular changes.

CD4+T cells specifically, regulatory T cells (Tregs)

have been implicated in CFS/ME patients

where significant increases in Tregs have been observed in these patients.

Therefore the objective of this study was to examine

methylation in CD4+T cells from CFS/ME patients.

Methods:

The study comprised twenty-five CFS/ME participants and

eighteen controls aged between 25-60 years.

A volume of 20 ml whole blood was collected from each participant and

peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated via density gradient centrifugation.

A negative isolation kit was used

to isolate the CD4+T cells from the peripheral blood samples.

Genome wide methylation studies were performed on isolated CD4+T cells

using the Illumina Infinium 450 K Human methylation array system.

Data analysis was performed

using Genome studio and Partek Enrichment software.

Results:

120 CpGs were observed to be differentially methylated

in the CFS/ME patients in comparison to the controls.

Of these 70 were associated with known genes.

The majority of the differential methylated regions

in the CFS/ME patients were hypomethylated.

Additionally, most of the genes with differentially methylated regions in the CFS/ME patients

were responsible for apoptosis, cell development, cell function and metabolic activity.

Conclusion:

The present study demonstrates that

epigenetic changes in CD4+T cells

may have a potential role in the immunological changes observed in CFS/ME patients.

Keywords:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; CD4+T cells; Methylation; miRNA

http://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/methylation-profile-of-cd-t-cells-in-chronic-fatigue-syndromemyalgic-encephalomyelitis-2155-9899.1000228.pdf