Carl-Gerhard Gottfries

Professor Carl-Gerhard Gottfries is a Swedish professor, ME/CFS doctor, and founder of the Gottfries Clinic.

Clinic
Gottfries Clinic AB (Gottfriesmottagningen), was previously financed through the health-care system, but now is privately operated. It is a specialty clinic for the 1) evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients with FM and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), chronic fatigue and widespread muscular pain, and 2) research for developing and treatment for such patients. Located at Krokslätts Torg 5, Mölndal, Sweden.

Talks and interviews

 * Carl-Gerhard Gottfries: A Swedish Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Story

Notable studies

 * 2015, Response to Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Fibromyalgia"'Abstract: Background - Patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME, also called chronic fatigue syndrome) may respond most favorably to frequent vitamin B12 injections, in vital combination with oral folic acid. However, there is no established algorithm for individualized optimal dosages, and rate of improvement may differ considerably between responders. Objective - To evaluate clinical data from patients with ME, with or without fibromyalgia, who had been on B12 injections at least once a week for six months and up to several years. Methods - 38 patients were included in a cross-sectional survey. Based on a validated observer’s rating scale, they were divided into Good (n = 15) and Mild (n = 23) responders, and the two groups were compared from various clinical aspects. Results - Good responders had used significantly more frequent injections (p<0.03) and higher doses of B12 (p<0.03) for a longer time (p<0.0005), higher daily amounts of oral folic acid (p<0.003) in good relation with the individual MTHFR genotype, more often thyroid hormones (p<0.02), and no strong analgesics at all, while 70% of Mild responders (p<0.0005) used analgesics such as opioids, duloxetine or pregabalin on a daily basis. In addition to ME, the higher number of patients with fibromyalgia among Mild responders was bordering on significance (p<0.09). Good responders rated themselves as “very much” or “much” improved, while Mild responders rated “much” or “minimally” improved. Conclusions - Dose-response relationship and long-lasting effects of B12/folic acid support a true positive response in the studied group of patients with ME/fibromyalgia. It’s important to be alert on co-existing thyroid dysfunction, and we suspect a risk of counteracting interference between B12/folic acid and certain opioid analgesics and other drugs that have to be demethylated as part of their metabolism. These issues should be considered when controlled trials for ME and fibromyalgia are to be designed.'"
 * 2013, Epitopes of Microbial and Human Heat Shock Protein 60 and Their Recognition in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis FULL TEXT "'Abstract: Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME, also called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), a common disease with chronic fatigability, cognitive dysfunction and myalgia of unknown etiology, often starts with an infection. The chaperonin human heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) occurs in mitochondria and in bacteria, is highly conserved, antigenic and a major autoantigen. The anti-HSP60 humoral (IgG and IgM) immune response was studied in 69 ME patients and 76 blood donors (BD) (the Training set) with recombinant human and E coli HSP60, and 136 30-mer overlapping and targeted peptides from HSP60 of humans, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma and 26 other species in a multiplex suspension array. Peptides from HSP60 helix I had a chaperonin-like activity, but these and other HSP60 peptides also bound IgG and IgM with an ME preference, theoretically indicating a competition between HSP60 function and antibody binding. A HSP60-based panel of 25 antigens was selected. When evaluated with 61 other ME and 399 non-ME samples (331 BD, 20 Multiple Sclerosis and 48 Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients), a peptide from Chlamydia pneumoniae HSP60 detected IgM in 15 of 61 (24%) of ME, and in 1 of 399 non-ME at a high cutoff (p<0.0001). IgM to specific cross-reactive epitopes of human and microbial HSP60 occurs in a subset of ME, compatible with infection-induced autoimmunity."
 * 2012, No evidence for xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus infection in Sweden using internally controlled multiepitope suspension array serology.
 * 2011, Murine gammaretrovirus group G3 was not found in Swedish patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
 * 2006, Long-Term Treatment with a Staphylococcus Toxoid Vaccine in Patients with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"'Abstract - One hundred and sixty patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, who were on a continuous treatment with a Staphylococcus vaccine, were followed during one year with repeated consultation visits. The patients had participated in controlled studies and been on continuous treatment with the vaccine for 22±10 months before inclusion into this follow-up study. They were treated with 1 mL of the vaccine subcutaneously every third to fourth week. Adverse events were few. The adherence to the treatment was very good. Over a period of one year, 8% withdrew, and in only 5%, the withdrawal was due to insufficient clinical effect. Only in two cases where the patients were allergic to the preservative of the vaccine, the side effects caused the withdrawal of the treatment. Ratings with scales (CPRS-15 and FibroFatigue) showed improvement from start of treatment and also further improvement during the follow-up year. In view of the natural history for these disorders the result is of interest.'"
 * 2000, Nickel Allergy is Found in a Majority of Women with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Muscle Pain—and may be Triggered by Cigarette Smoke and Dietary Nickel Intake"'Abstract - Two hundred and four women with chronic fatigue and muscle pain, with no signs of autoimmune disorder, received immune stimulation injections with a Staphylococcus vaccine at monthly intervals over 6 months. Good response was defined as a decrease by at least 50% of the total score on an observer's rating scale. Nickel allergy was evaluated as probable if the patient had a positive history of skin hyper-sensitivity from cutaneous exposure to metal objects. The patient's smoking habits were recorded. Fifty-two percent of the patients had a positive history of nickel contact dermatitis. There were significantly more good responders among the non-allergic non-smokers (39%) than among the allergic smokers (6%). We also present case reports on nickel-allergic patients who apparently improved after cessation of cigarette smoking and reducing their dietary nickel intake. Our observations indicate that exposure to nickel, by dietary intake or inhalation of cigarette smoke, may trigger systemic nickel allergy and contribute to syndromes of chronic fatigue and muscle pain.'"