Jonathan Kerr

Source: Invest in ME

Jonathan Ricardo Kerr, BSc, MBBCh, MD, PhD, FRCPath, is a British researcher who became interested in ME/CFS after studying the consequences of Parvovirus B19 infection and finding that some of those infected went on to develop CFS. Formerly of St. George’s University of London, he is presently working as an Associate professor in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.

Notable studies

• 2016, Prevalencia de síntomas de fatiga crónica / encefalomielitis miálgica (SFC/EM) y su relación con factores ocupacionales en trabajadores en una empresa de vigilancia en Bogotá, Colombia (Jonathan Kerr) Note: This study did not use PEM as a inclusionary symptom nor did it use any Definitions of ME and CFS including the most symptom liberal of valid definitions, SEID. The only entry criteria noted were fatigue and muscle pain which seem to be the broadest and loose of symptom definitions Reeves criteria and Oxford criteria.
• 2016, MicroRNAs hsa-miR-99b, hsa-miR-330, hsa-miR-126 and hsa-miR-30c: Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers in Natural Killer (NK) Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)/ Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)
• 2014, Use of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to distinguish gene expression subtypes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)

  Abstract - "Aims: We have reported gene expression changes in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and the fact that such gene expression data can be used to identify subtypes of CFS/ME with distinct clinical phenotypes. Due to the difficulties in using a comparative gene expression method as an aid to CFS/ME disease and subtype-specific diagnosis, we have attempted to develop such a method based on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Methods: To identify SNP allele associations with CFS/ME and CFS/ME subtypes, we tested genomic DNA of patients with CFS/ME (n=108), patients with endogenous depression (n=17) and normal blood donors (n=68) for 504 human SNP alleles located within 88 CFS-associated human genes using the SNP Genotyping GoldenGate Assay (Illumina, San Diego, California, USA). 360 ancestry informative markers (AIM) were also examined. Results: 21 SNPs were significantly associated with CFS/ME compared with depression and normal groups. 148 SNP alleles had a significant association with one or more CFS/ME subtypes. For each subtype, associated SNPs tended to be grouped together within particular genes. AIM SNPs indicated that 4 subjects were of Asian origin while the remainder were Caucasian. Hierarchical clustering of AIM data revealed the relatedness between 2 couples of patients with CFS only and confirmed the overall heterogeneity of all subjects. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that human SNPs located within CFS/ME associated genes are associated with particular genomic subtypes of CFS/ME. Further work is required to develop this into a clinically useful subtype-specific diagnostic test."

• 1997, Parvovirus B19 and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Talks & interviews

• 2015, Spoonie Radio episode 14 - Jonathan Kerr
• 2014, Dr. Kerr, I presume?

Invest in ME International ME Conference

• 2010, Speaker at the 5th Invest in ME International ME Conference on Study of SNPs to determine subtype status in CFS patients DVD available
• 2009, Speaker at the 4th Invest in ME International ME Conference on Severely-affected Sub Groups of ME/CFS DVD available
• 2008, Speaker at the 3rd Invest in ME International ME Conference on Gene Expression in ME/CFS: a means of Subtyping DVD available
• 2007, at the 2nd Invest in ME International ME Conference on Case Study - Biomedical research (A view of a biomedical research team, how it is funded, what it needs, how it could be improved, what the future research would look like) DVD available
• 2006, Speaker at the 1st Invest in ME International ME Conference on Viral and Human Gene Expression, development of diagnostic test, news of clinical trials DVD available

Online presence

• Invest in ME - Jonathan Kerr
• PubMed - Jonathan Kerr

Learn more

• Jonathan Kerr

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) - A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, pronounced "snip") is a potential genetic mutation that occurs in a single spot in the human genome; a difference in a single DNA building block. SNPs are often represented by an "rs" number, such as "rs53576".

endogenous Growing or originating from within an organism.

assay 1. (verb) analysis (as of an ore or drug) to determine the presence, absence, or quantity of one or more components. 2. (noun) In biochemistry, any laboratory protocol used to test a sample for one or more qualities.

biomedical research basic medical research on organisms, such as humans or other living things, that helps increase medical knowledge. (Learn more: me-pedia.org)

biomedical research basic medical research on organisms, such as humans or other living things, that helps increase medical knowledge. (Learn more: me-pedia.org)