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Plasma proteomic profiling suggests an association between antigen driven clonal B cell expansion and ME/CFS
Milica Milivojevic1, Xiaoyu Che1,2, Lucinda Bateman3
1Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, United States of America.
Plos One
|July 22, 2020
Summary
Researchers identified specific proteins in the blood of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) patients. These protein patterns could help diagnose ME/CFS and indicate immune system involvement in the disease.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Proteomics
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, debilitating illness with unknown causes.
- Key symptoms include profound fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive issues, and gastrointestinal problems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the plasma proteome of ME/CFS patients to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers.
- To explore differences in proteomic profiles between ME/CFS patients with and without self-reported irritable bowel syndrome (sr-IBS).
Main Methods:
- Plasma samples from 39 ME/CFS patients and 41 healthy controls were analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS).
- Logistic regression and machine learning algorithms (Lasso, Random Forests, XGBoost) were employed to identify protein associations and predictive signatures.
Main Results:
- Specific immunoglobulin proteins, including IGHV3-23/30, were significantly associated with ME/CFS.
- Distinct proteomic profiles were linked to ME/CFS with and without sr-IBS, with immunoglobulin lambda constant region 7 being significant for ME/CFS with sr-IBS.
- Machine learning models accurately predicted ME/CFS status (AUC 0.774-0.838), as well as subgroups with and without sr-IBS.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest a strong link between ME/CFS and immune system dysregulation.
- Plasma proteomic profiles show potential as a source for developing diagnostic biomarkers for ME/CFS and its subtypes.
