Acute phase phospholipids related to the cardiolipin of mitochondria in the sera of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), chronic ciguatera fish poisoning (CCFP), and other diseases attributed to chemicals, Gulf War, and marine toxins

Abstract

This study examined 328 CFS sera in a study with 17 CCFP, 8 Gulf War Veterans (GWV), 24 Prostate Cancer (PC), and 52 normal sera in the modified Membrane Immunobead Assay (MIA) procedure for CTX. Three hundred and twenty-eight CFS patients' sera were examined by the modified MIA with purified MAb-CTX and 91.2% gave a titre > or =1:40. 76% of the 17 CCFP sera samples and 100% of the 8 GWV sera samples also had a titre > or =1:40. 92.3% of 52 normal sera showed titres of 1:20 or less, while 4 gave titres of > or =1:40. In addition, 41 sera were examined for Anti-Cardiolipin (aCL) by a commercial ELISA procedure with 87.8% demonstrating IgM, IgM+IgA, or IgM+IgG aCL antibodies. These results showed mostly the IgM aCL antibody alone in the sera samples. In addition, 41 serum samples were examined for aCL, with 37 showing positive for aCL, representing 90.2% positive for the three disease categories examined: CFS, CCFP and GWV. Examination for antiMitochondrial-M2 autoantibody (aM-M2) in 28 patients (CFS (18), CCFP (5), and GWV (5)) was negative for aM-M2. Inhibition analysis with antigens, CTX, CFS "Acute Phase Lipids", commercial Cardiolipin (CL) and 1,2-Dipalmitoyl-sn-Glycero-3-[Phospho-L-Serine] (PS) and antibodies, MAb-CTX and aCL from patients' serum show that the phospholipids in CL and CTX are antigenically indistinguishable with antibodies MAb-CTX and CFS-aCL. Preliminary chemical analyses have shown the lipids to be phospholipids associated with CL of the mitochondria. We designate this "Acute Phase Lipid" comparable to "Acute Phase Proteins" (C-reactive protein (CRP) and Serum Amyloid A (SAA)) in inflammatory conditions.

Association of mitochondrial dysfunction and fatigue: A review of the literature

“…CFS subjects had serum lipid fractions that resembled those commonly found in patients poisoned with ciguatoxin, a marine toxin [13]. Sera from patients with CFS, chronic ciguartera fish poisoning (CCFP), gulf war veterans (GWV), and prostate cancer patients contained antibodies to cardiolipin (aCL), a phospholipid of the mitochondrial membrane [13]. Further study found that 95% of CFS patients had anticardiolipin antibody (ACA) of the IgM subtype, 10% showed an IgG response, 2.5% had an IgA response; 4 patients were positive for IgG and IgM, and one patient was positive for all three antibody subtypes [12].…”

An Updated Review of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning: Clinical, Epidemiological, Environmental, and Public Health Management

“…In the effort to develop biomarkers, progress has been made particularly in animal studies [112,113,114,115,116]. In humans, attempts have been made to identify CTX in human blood [335] and other potential markers of effect of CTX exposure [336,337,338], but studies are needed with larger sample sizes, clearly delineated case definitions, confirmatory fish testing across laboratories with appropriate blinding, and replication of candidate biomarkers across multiple study populations.…”

Gene Expression in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

“…In some cases patients may present with structural deformities in the mitochondria, these include subsarcolemmal mitochondrial aggregates, compartmentalization of the internal mitochondrial membrane and polymorphism (Plioplys and Plioplys, 1995). Similarly defective mitochondrial metabolic activity may be characterised by the presence of neurotoxic phospholipids and phospholipids of mitochondria that appear after microbial infections (Hokama et al, 2008). Neutrophil in the innate immune system employ respiratory burst and oxidative phosphorylation as a means to effectively kill and clear pathogen invasion.…”