Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Volume 11, Issue 4, 2003

Volume 11, Issue 4, 2003

 * Editorial by Kenny De Meirleir & Neil McGregor
 *  Comparison of Activity Limitations/Participation Restrictions Among Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients"'Abstract - Fibromyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) are related yet overlapping disorders; the current case definitions prohibit a clear-cut differential diagnosis. These diagnostic criteria mainly address the impairment level of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. This study aimed at comparing activity limitations and participation restrictions in patients with FM (n = 90) and CFS (n = 47). The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Activities and Participation Questionnaire (CFS-APQ) was used for assessing functionality in both groups. The convergent validity of the scores obtained with the questionnaire with visual analogue scales for pain, fatigue and concentration was investigated in FM patients, as well as the content validity. No differences in total scores and 25 out of 26 individual items on the CFS-APQ were observed between the 2 groups (independent samples Mann-Whitney U test). This sample of FM patients reported to be more disabled in ‘sitting for two hours’ as compared to the CFS group (mean scores 3.0 ± 1.0 and 2.3 ± 1.0; P = .004). Four hundred and thirty-seven of the 497 (87.9%) responses to the request to list difficult activities matched the content of the CFS-APQ. The overall scores of the CFS-APQ correlated statistically significant in respect to visual analogue scales for pain and concentration (Spearman rho for the total scores ranged between .44 and .49). These data question the disease specificity of the CFS-APQ for CFS, but suggests its applicability in ‘the Chronic Pain-Fatigue Syndromes.’ The present report provides evidence for both the content and convergent validity of the CFS-APQ in FM patients."
 * Test-Retest Reliability of the Aerobic Power Index Test in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"'Abstract - Use of maximal aerobic exercise testing in a chronically ill population may not only deter potential subjects from participating in trials, or returning for repeat trials, but may also result in the exacerbation of symptoms related to CFS. The Aerobic Power Index represents a submaximal exercise test that forms the aerobic component of the Tri-Level Fitness Profile. This incremental bike test has a predetermined termination point based on a target heart rate (THR) of 75% of age predicted heart rate maximum, making successful completion of the test more likely in chronically ill subjects. The aim of this study was to determine reliability of the Aerobic Power Index in 20 CFS subjects. Results for the 17 subjects who reached THR for both trials, demonstrated high reliability for watts per kilogram and oxygen uptake (ml*kg-1*min-1), as demonstrated by an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of .97 and .91, respectively, while RPE resulted in moderate reliability (ICC = .87). The results of this study indicate that the Aerobic Power Index is a reliable submaximal test for use in a CFS population."
 * The Frequency of HLA Class II Antigens in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"'Abstract - Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition characterized by unexplained, persistent fatigue in conjunction with other generalized symptoms. However, the patients as a group are more likely to have objective abnormalities of the immune system than control subjects. We measured the frequency of certain HLA antigens in a representative group of 35 patients. We restricted our analysis to class II molecules as these appear to be more specific predictors of susceptibility to immunologically-based disorders. The frequency of the HLA-DQ1 antigen was increased in patients compared to general population Caucasian controls. This association between chronic fatigue syndrome and the HLA-DQ1 antigen translates into a relative risk of 3.2. This association has not been reported previously in chronic fatigue syndrome. Differences in the ethnic sub-grouping of patients in this study and in previous studies also could have contributed to the difference between our findings and those of previous investigators. Conversely, this study did not find HLA associations that have been reported by previous studies. The sample size of this study could have led to type II statistical errors and a failure to recognize certain HLA associations as significant."
 * Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as Cure-All for CFS - Critical Reviews and Comments on Current Research by Elke Van Hoof
 * CURRENT PAPERS IN ME/CFS