10 September 2008
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Sep 4. [Epub ahead of print]
Metzger K, Frémont M, Roelant C, De Meirleir K.
Protea Biopharma, Z.1-Researchpark 100, 1731 Zellik, Belgium.
NLM Citation: PMID: 18774769
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by immune
dysfunctions including chronic immune activation, inflammation, and
alteration of cytokine profiles.
T helper 17 (Th17) cells belong to a recently identified subset of T
helper cells, with crucial regulatory function in inflammatory and
autoimmune processes. Th17 cells are implicated in allergic
inflammation, intestinal diseases, central nervous system
inflammation, disorders that may all contribute to the
pathophysiology of CFS. IL-17F is one of the pro-inflammatory
cytokines secreted by Th17 cells.
We investigated the association between CFS and the frequency of
rs763780, a C/T genetic polymorphism leading to His161Arg
substitution in the IL-17F protein. The His161Arg variant (C allele)
antagonizes the pro-inflammatory effects of the wild-type IL-17F.
A significantly lower frequency of the C allele was observed in the
CFS population, suggesting that the His161Arg variant may confer
protection against the disease. These results suggest a role of Th17
cells in the pathogenesis of CFS.