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In the book The Disease of a Thousand Names by David S. Bell MD, FAAP the author goes through all the various theories of what causes CFIDS and tells why he thinks most are clearly wrong. He favors the cytokine theory. (Interferon is an example of a cytokine.)

"The cytokine theory of CFIDS is very simple. In effect it says that with the onset of CFIDS this same immune response is initiated, but instead of completing its job and shutting down in a week, the response continues indefinitely. Instead of the cytokines being produced in a short burst of one week, they are initiated, the immune system activated, but do not shut off. The immune system becomes chronically "up-regulated.

"The irony of this theory is that Agent X, the hypothetical underlying cause of CFIDS, causes virtually no symptoms. It merely initiates the process of immune system activation and then sits by while the cytokines cause the owner to be sick." - page 150

"It is the commonplace nature of the symptoms that suggests a commonplace mechanism to cause them. The only thing that is unusual about the symptoms of CFIDS is that they do not disappear." - page 151

"No one is asking the family physician to cure the patient with CFIDS, it cannot be done with the present technology. What we are asking is that the physician treat the patient with CFIDS with the same respect that is given to patients with other illnesses. For the average patient with CFIDS who is struggling to remain a productive member of society, respect alone will alleviate half of the suffering." - page 183

Symptoms from a 100 patient study - 1986
  • 100% Fatigue
  • 97% Neurological 
  • 97% Muscle Pain
  • 95% Headache
  • 94% Eye pain or light sensitivity
  • 94% Recurrent sore throat
  • 92% Abdominal pain
  • 85% Lymph node pain
  • 80% Join pain
  • 74% Flushing skin rash
  • 46% Recurrent fever 
  • 46% Night sweats
  • 27% Chills
  • 14% Shortness of breath
  • 8% Palpitations
  • 6% Painful urination

  "The balance maintained between the interacting parts of the immune system appears to be extraordinarily delicate, we are learning as scientists unravel more and more of its mystery. What is becoming clear is that it's possible for one part of the immune system to be over-stimulated at the same time as other parts are depressed.

"In CFS, the immune system cells called T-cells are often over-stimulated; this state is called "T-cell activation." Research has shown that, when T-cells are activated, they make immune system chemicals called cytokines; interleukin and interferon are examples of cytokines. When the T-cells make excessive amounts of cytokines, they can actually cause symptoms similar to those seen in CFS.

"Fever, swollen glands, sore throat, aching muscles and joints, sleep disturbance, and even psychological symptoms can be caused by excessive amounts of cytokines."

http://www.chronicillnet.org/CFS/Ostrom/book_ToC.html

Tired All the Time

  "One reason CFS patients may feel so sick is that their immune systems, fighting desperately, release a lot of cytokines, which are chemicals that do battle against foreign invaders. These chemicals - called interleukin-1, interleukin-2, and interferon - are responsible for many of the flulike symptoms you feel whenever you are sick....We can test CFS patients for the levels of these cytokines: their presence is a clue to the presence of the disease."

  From Tired All the Time by Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D. - page 213

The Rebellious Body

  "Certain cytokines, such as interleukin 1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), can be found systemically in the circulation during infection, and may be released in high enough quantities so as to cause unpleasant side effects. The chronic overproduction of certain cytokines may result in the variety of symptoms seen in CFS, including profound fatigue, characteristic of the illness." - page 12

  The Rebellious Body, Reclaim Your Life from Environmental Illness or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Janice Strubbe Wittenberg, R.N.