Mary Ann Fletcher

From MEpedia, a crowd-sourced encyclopedia of ME and CFS science and history
Source:nova.edu

Mary Ann Fletcher, Ph.D., is the first Schemel Professor for Neuro Immune Medicine at the Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US.[1] Previously, she spent 40 years at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as a Professor of Medicine, Microbiology/Immunology and Psychology.[2] She holds two U.S. Patents for developing tests to determine if a person has mononucleosis.[1] Currently her research focus has been on the identification of diagnostic biomarkers in ME/CFS, Gulf War Illness and other multi-complex illnesses.

Education[edit | edit source]

  • Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Texas Tech University
  • Master of Science in Immunology and Virology from University of Texas Medical School
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Immunochemistry from Baylor University
  • Postdoctoral research at Northwestern University in Chicago.

Awards[edit | edit source]

Committees and boards[edit | edit source]

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee[edit | edit source]

Dr. Fletcher was a voting member of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee, for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, from June 13, 2012 to December 13, 2016.[4]

ME/CFS Common Data Element (CDE) Project[edit | edit source]

Member of the Immune Working Group of the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Common Data Element (CDE) Project sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[5]

Advocacy[edit | edit source]

Open Letter to The Lancet[edit | edit source]

Two open letters to the editor of The Lancet urged the editor to commission a fully independent review of the PACE trial, which the journal had published in 2011. In 2016 and again in 2018 , Dr. Fletcher, along with colleagues in the ME/CFS field, signed the second and third letter.

Notable studies in ME/CFS[edit | edit source]

Talks and interviews[edit | edit source]

Online presence[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Mary Ann Fletcher Joins Nova Southeastern University as Schemel Professor for Neuro Immune Medicine | NSU Newsroom". nsunews.nova.edu. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  2. ↑ http://iacfsme.org/Conferences/2014-San-Francisco/Agenda/Professional-Agenda.aspx
  3. ↑ "IACFS/ME Awardees". IACFS/ME. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  4. ↑ http://www.hhs.gov/advcomcfs/roster/index.html
  5. ↑ "Complete Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CDE Roster". NIH. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  6. ↑ Patarca, Roberto; Klimas, Nancy; Lugtendorf, S; Antoni, Michael H.; Fletcher, Mary Ann (1994), "Dysregulated expression of tumor necrosis factor in chronic fatigue syndrome: interrelations with cellular sources and patterns of soluble immune mediator expression", Clinical Infectious Diseases, 18: S147-53, PMID 8148443
  7. ↑ Lutgendorf, Susan; Klimas, Nancy; Antoni, Michael; Brickman, Andrew; Fletcher, Mary Ann (1995), "Relationships of Cognitive Difficulties to Immune Measures, Depression and Illness Burden in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 1 (2): 23–41, doi:10.1300/J092v01n02_03
  8. ↑ Lutgendorf, SK; Antoni, MH; Ironson, G; Fletcher, MA; Penedo, F; Baum, A; Schneiderman, N; Klimas, N (1995), "Physical symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are exacerbated by the stress of Hurricane Andrew", Psychosomatic Medicine, 57 (4): 310-23, PMID 7480560
  9. ↑ Patarca, Patarca; Klimas, Nancy; Garcia, Maria N.; Walters, Michael J.; Dombroski, Derek; Pons, Hector; Fletcher, Mary Ann (1995), "Dysregulated Expression of Soluble Immune Mediator Receptors in a Subset of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Cross-Sectional Categorization of Patients by Immune Status", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 1 (1): 81-96, doi:10.1300/J092v01n01_06
  10. ↑ Klimas, Nancy; Sandler, Dmitry; Garcia, Maria N.; Fletcher, Mary Ann (1996), "Interindividual Immune Status Variation Patterns in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 2 (1): 13-39, doi:10.1300/J092v02n01_03
  11. ↑ Roberto Patarca & Mary Ann Fletcher. (1998). Interleukin-6 and Disease: Two Case Reports that Point to the Usefulness of Measuring Cytokine Levels in Clinical Settings. Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Vol. 4, Iss. 1, pp. 53-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J092v04n01_07
  12. ↑ Fletcher, Mary Ann; Maher, Kevin; Patarca-Montero, Roberto; Klimas, Nancy (2000), "Comparative Analysis of Lymphocytes in Lymph Nodes and Peripheral Blood of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 7 (3): 65-75, doi:10.1300/J092v07n03_06
  13. ↑ Klimas, Nancy; Patarca-Montero, Roberto; Maher, Kevin; Fletcher, Mary Ann (2000), "Immunotherapy of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Therapeutic Interventions Aimed at Modulating the Th1/Th2 Cytokine Expression Balance", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 8 (1): 39-55, doi:10.1300/J092v08n01_03
  14. ↑ Montero, Roberto Patarca; Klimas, Nancy G.; Fletcher, Mary Ann (2000). "Immunotherapy of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Therapeutic Interventions Aimed at Modulating the Th1/Th2 Cytokine Expression Balance". Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 8 (1): 3–37. doi:10.1300/J092v08n01_02.
  15. ↑ Hurwitz, Barry E.; Brownley, Kimberly A.; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy (2000), "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Evidence Supporting the Hypothesis of a Behaviorally-Activated Neuromodulator of Fatigue", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 6 (1): 45-63, doi:10.1300/J092v06n02_06
  16. ↑ Patarca-Montero, Roberto; Antoni, Michael; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy G. (March 2001). "Cytokine and Other Immunologic Markers in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Their Relation to Neuropsychological Factors". Applied Neuropsychology. 8 (1): 51–64. doi:10.1207/S15324826AN0801_7. ISSN 0908-4282.
  17. ↑ Patarca, Patarca; Fletcher, Mary Ann (2002), "Effects of Benzalkonium Salts on G-protein-Mediated Processes and Surface Membranes: Relevance to Microbial- and Chemical-Induced Diseases", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 10 (2): 87-168, doi:10.1300/J092v10n03_07
  18. ↑ Patarca, Patarca; Fletcher, Mary Ann (2002), "The Paul-Bunnell Heterophile Antibody Determinant in Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Disease", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 10 (2): 51–86, doi:10.1300/J092v10n03_06
  19. ↑ Jason, Leonard A.; Torres-Harding, Susan; Maher, Kevin; Reynolds, Nadia; Brown, Molly; Sorenson, Matthew; Donalek, Julie; Corradi, Karina; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Lu, Tony (2007), "Baseline Cortisol Levels Predict Treatment Outcomes in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Nonpharmacologic Clinical Trial", Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 14 (4): 39-59, doi:10.3109/10573320802092039
  20. ↑ Torres-Harding, Susan; Sorenson, Matthew; Jason, Leonard; Maher, Kevin; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Reynolds, Nadia; Brown, Molly (2008), "The associations between basal salivary cortisol and illness symptomatology in chronic fatigue syndrome", Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, 2008 (13): 157-180, PMID 19701493
  21. ↑ Torres-Harding, Susan; Sorenson, Matthew; Jason, Leonard; Maher, Kevin; Fletcher, Mary Ann (2008), "Evidence for T-helper 2 shift and association with illness parameters in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)", Bulletin of the IACFS/ME, 16 (3): 19–33., PMID 21234277
  22. ↑ Fletcher, Mary Ann; Zeng, Xiao R; Barnes, Zachary; Levis, Silvina; Klimas, Nancy G (2009), "Plasma neuropeptide Y: a biomarker for symptom severity in chronic fatigue syndrome", Journal of Translational Medicine, 7 (96), doi:10.1186/1479-5876-7-96
  23. ↑ Broderick, Gordon; Fuite, Jim; Kreitz, Andrea; Vernon, Suzanne; Klimas, Nancy; Fletcher, Mary Ann (2010), "A Formal Analysis of Cytokine Networks in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 24 (7): 1209–1217, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2010.04.012
  24. ↑ Fletcher, Mary Ann; Rosenthal, Martin; Antoni, Michael; Ironson, Gail; Zeng, Xiao R; Barnes, Zachary; Harvey, Jeanna M; Hurwitz, Barry; Levis, Silvina; Broderick, Gordon; Klimas, Nancy G (2010), "Plasma neuropeptide Y: a biomarker for symptom severity in chronic fatigue syndrome", Behavioral and Brain Functions, 6 (76), doi:10.1186/1744-9081-6-76
  25. ↑ Porter, Nicole; Lerch, Athena; Jason, Leonard; Sorenson, Matthew; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Herrington, Joshua (2010), "A Comparison of Immune Functionality in Viral versus Non-Viral CFS Subtypes", Journal of Behavioral and Neuroscience Research, 8 (2): 1-8, PMID 24634898
  26. ↑ Fletcher, Mary A.; Zeng, Xiao R.; Maher, Kevin; Levis, Silvina; Hurwitz, Barry; Antoni, Michael; Broderick, Gordon; Klimas, Nancy G. (May 25, 2010). Unutmaz, Derya (ed.). "Biomarkers in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Evaluation of Natural Killer Cell Function and Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV/CD26". PLoS ONE. 5 (5): e10817. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010817. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 2876037. PMID 20520837.
  27. ↑ Klimas, NG; Broderick, G; Fletcher, MA (2012), "Biomarkers for chronic fatigue", Brain Behav Immun, 26 (8): 1202-10, doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2012.06.006, PMID 22732129
  28. ↑ Broderick, Gordon; Katz, Ben Z; Fernandes, Henrique; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy; Smith, Frederick A; O'Gorman, Maurice RG; Vernon, Suzanne D; Taylor, Renee (2012), "Cytokine expression profiles of immune imbalance in post-mononucleosis chronic fatigue", Journal of Translational Medicine, 10 (191), doi:10.1186/1479-5876-10-191
  29. ↑ Hall, DL; Lattie, EG; Antoni, MH; Fletcher, MA; Czaja, S; Perdomo, D; Klimas, NG (2014), "Stress management skills, cortisol awakening response, and post-exertional malaise in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", Psychoneuroendocrinology, 49: 26-31, doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.06.021, PMID 25049069
  30. ↑ Craddock, Travis J.A.; Fritsch, Paul; Rice, Jr, Mark A.; del Rosario, Ryan M.; Miller, Diane B.; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy G.; Broderick, Gordon (2014), "A Role for Homeostatic Drive in the Perpetuation of Complex Chronic Illness: Gulf War Illness and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome", PLOS One, 9 (1): e84839, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084839
  31. ↑ Hall, DL; Antoni, MH; Lattie, EG; Jutagir, DR; Czaja, S; Perdomo, D; Lechner, SC; Stagl, JM; Bouchard, LC; Gudenkauf, LM; Traeger, L; Fletcher, MA; Klimas, NG (2015), "Perceived Fatigue Interference and Depressed Mood: Comparison of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients with Fatigued Breast Cancer Survivors", Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, 3 (3): 142-155, doi:10.1080/21641846.2015.1039289, PMID 26180660
  32. ↑ Klimas, N.G.; Ironson, G.; Carter, A.; Balbin, E.; Bateman, L.; Felsenstein, D.; Levine, S.; Peterson, D.; Chiu, K.; Allen, A.; Cunningham, K.; Gottschalk, C.G.; Fletcher, M; Hornig, M.; Canning, C.; Komaroff, A.L. (2015), "Findings from a clinical and laboratory database developed for discovery of pathogenic mechanisms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome", Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, 3 (2): 75–96, doi:10.1080/21641846.2015.1023652
  33. ↑ Craddock, Travis J.A.; Harvey, Jeanna M.; Nathanson, Lubov; Barnes, Zachary M.; Klimas, Nancy G.; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Broderick, Gordon (July 9, 2015). "Using gene expression signatures to identify novel treatment strategies in gulf war illness". BMC Medical Genomics. 8. doi:10.1186/s12920-015-0111-3. ISSN 1755-8794. PMC 4495687. PMID 26156520.
  34. ↑ Milrad, Sara F.; Hall, Daniel L.; Jutagir, Devika R.; Lattie, Emily G.; Ironson, Gail H.; Wohlgemuth, William; Vera Nunez, Maria; Garcia, Lina; Czaja, Sara J.; Perdomo, Dolores M.; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy; Antoni, Michael H. (2016), "Poor sleep quality is associated with greater circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and severity and frequency of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) symptoms in women", Journal of Neuroimmunology, 0 (0), doi:10.1016/j.jneuroim.2016.12.008
  35. ↑ Harvey, Jeanna M; Broderick, Gordon; Bowie, Alanna; Barnes, Zachary M; Katz, Ben Z; O'Gorman, Maurice R; Vernon, Suzanne D; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy; Taylor, Renee (2016), "Tracking post-infectious fatigue in clinic using routine Lab tests.", BMC Pediatrics, 16 (54), doi:10.1186/s12887-016-0596-8
  36. ↑ Russell, Lindsey; Broderick, Gordon; Taylor, Renee; Fernandes, Henrique; Harvey, Jeanna; Barnes, Zachary; Smylie, AnneLiese; Collado, Fanny; Balbin, Elizabeth; Katz, Ben; Klimas, Nancy; Fletcher, Mary Ann (2016), "Illness progression in chronic fatigue syndrome: a shifting immune baseline", BMC Immunology, 17 (3), doi:10.1186/s12865-016-0142-3
  37. ↑ Hall, DL; Lattie, EG; Milrad, SF; Czaja, S; Fletcher, MA; Klimas, N; Perdomo, D; Antoni, MH (2017), "Telephone-administered versus live group cognitive behavioral stress management for adults with CFS", J Psychosom Res, 93: 41-47, doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2016.12.004
  38. ↑ Milrad, Sara F.; Hall, Daniel L.; Jutagir, Devika R.; Lattie, Emily G.; Czaja, Sara J.; Perdomo, Dolores M.; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy; Antoni, Michael H. (2017), "Depression, evening salivary cortisol and inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome: A psychoneuroendocrinological structural regression model", Int J Psychophysiol, 0 (0), doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.09.009
  39. ↑ Trivedi, Malav S.; Oltra, Elisa; Sarria, Leonor; Rose, Natasha; Beljanski, Vladimir; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy G.; Nathanson, Lubov (July 2018). "Identification of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-associated DNA methylation patterns". PlosOne. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0201066.
  40. ↑ Klimas, N.G.; Fletcher, M.A.; Abreu, M.M.; Aenlle, K.; Craddock, T.; Broderick, G. (February 2019). "From biomarkers to targeted treatment: The myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and gulf war illness (GWI) story". Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 76: e40. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2018.11.301.
  41. ↑ Morris, Matthew C.; Cooney, Katherine E.; Sedghamiz, Hooman; Abreu, Maria; Collado, Fanny; Balbin, Elizabeth G.; Craddock, Travis J.A.; Klimas, Nancy G.; Broderick, Gordon; Fletcher, Mary Ann (March 2019). "Leveraging Prior Knowledge of Endocrine Immune Regulation in the Therapeutically Relevant Phenotyping of Women With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". Clinical Therapeutics. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2019.03.002.
  42. ↑ Richman, Spencer; Morris, Matthew C.; Broderick, Gordon; Craddock, Travis J.A.; Klimas, Nancy G.; Fletcher, Mary Ann (March 2019). "Pharmaceutical Interventions in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Literature-based Commentary". Clinical Therapeutics. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2019.02.011.
  43. ↑ Jeffrey, Mary G.; Nathanson, Lubov; Aenlle, Kristina; Barnes, Zachary M.; Baig, Mirza; Broderick, Gordon; Klimas, Nancy G.; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Craddock, Travis J.A. (March 2019). "Treatment Avenues in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Split-gender Pharmacogenomic Study of Gene-expression Modules". Clinical Therapeutics. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2019.01.011.
  44. ↑ Milrad, Sara F.; Hall, Daniel L.; Jutagir, Devika R.; Lattie, Emily G.; Czaja, Sara J.; Perdomo, Dolores M.; Ironson, Gail; Doss, Brian D.; Mendez, Armando; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Klimas, Nancy; Antoni, Michael H. (July 2019). "Relationship satisfaction, communication self-efficacy, and chronic fatigue syndrome-related fatigue". Social Science & Medicine: 112392. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112392.
  45. ↑ Cheema, Amanpreet K.; Sarria, Leonor; Bekheit, Mina; Collado, Fanny; Almenar‐Pérez, Eloy; Martín‐Martínez, Eva; Alegre, Jose; Castro‐Marrero, Jesus; Fletcher, Mary A.; Klimas, Nancy; Oltra, Elisa; Nathanson, Lubov (April 14, 2020). "Unravelling myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS): Gender-specific changes in the microRNA expression profiling in ME/CFS". Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. 00: 1–13. doi:10.1111/jcmm.15260. ISSN 1582-4934. PMID 32291908.

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.

cognition Thought processes, including attention, reasoning, and memory.

membrane The word "membrane" can have different meanings in different fields of biology. In cell biology, a membrane is a layer of molecules that surround its contents. Examples of cell-biology membranes include the "cell membrane" that surrounds a cell, the "mitochondrial membranes" that form the outer layers of mitochondria, and the "viral envelope" that surrounds enveloped viruses. In anatomy or tissue biology, a membrane is a barrier formed by a layer of cells. Examples of anatomical membranes include the pleural membranes that surrounds the lungs, the pericardium which surrounds the heart, and some of the layers within the blood-brain barrier.

antibodies Antibody/immunoglobulin refers to any of a large number of specific proteins produced by B cells that act against an antigen in an immune response.

plasma The liquid part of blood, lymph, or milk after removing any suspended material. Most of the time, "plasma" simply refers to blood, after all the blood cells have been removed. If you also remove the clotting factors, then the plasma is referred to as "serum".

stress Stress can by either physical or psychological, or both. Stress is either 1) a state of emotional or psychological strain or 2) the physical stress (pressure or tension) that a physical object such the human body is placed under, e.g., a stress test is a medical test that monitors the cardiovascular system during strenuous exercise.

chronic illness any long-term illness, regardless of the severity. Chronic illnesses are typically incurable, requiring long-term management.

cognition Thought processes, including attention, reasoning, and memory.

See National Institutes of Health.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - A set of biomedical research institutes operated by the U.S. government, under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services.

somatic symptom disorder A psychiatric term to describe an alleged condition whereby a person's thoughts somehow cause physical symptoms. The actual existence of such a condition is highly controversial, due to a lack of scientific evidence. It is related to other psychiatric terms, such as "psychosomatic", "neurasthenia", and "hysteria". Older terms include "somatization", "somatoform disorder", and "conversion disorder". Such terms refer to a scientifically-unsupported theory that claims that a wide range of physical symptoms can be created by the human mind, a theory which has been criticized as "mind over matter" parapsychology, a pseudoscience.

cytokine any class of immunoregulatory proteins secreted by cells, especially immune cells. Cytokines are small proteins important in cell signaling that modulate the immune system. (Learn more: me-pedia.org)

post-exertional malaise (PEM) - A notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small physical or cognitive exertions. PEM may be referred to as a "crash" or "collapse" and can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain, trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, and others.

cytokine any class of immunoregulatory proteins secreted by cells, especially immune cells. Cytokines are small proteins important in cell signaling that modulate the immune system. (Learn more: me-pedia.org)

See ME/CFS.

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