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  4. Immune cell exhaustion, dysfunction, and metabolism in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Immune cell exhaustion, dysfunction, and metabolism in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

File(s)
Maya_cornellgrad_0058F_13614.pdf (7.28 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/6r2r-3p30
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/114098
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Maya, Jessica
Abstract

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic and incapacitating multisystem condition with unknown etiology, no cure, and no FDA- approved treatments, all of which can be attributed to historical underfunding, widespread misinformation, and the complexity of the disease. Many patients encounter several immune-related symptoms, extreme fatigue, post-exertional malaise, and a flu-like onset. Studies have documented changes in ME/CFS immune cell populations and decreased natural killer (NK) cell performance, along with aberrant cytokine production, reduced glycolysis in T cells, and altered metabolites relevant to fatty acid oxidation, implicating potential intracellular metabolic dysregulation.This knowledge prompted me to investigate fatty acid oxidation and immune cell functional states in isolated ME/CFS lymphocytes. Using extracellular flux analysis and flow cytometry, I observed elevated fatty acid oxidation levels in ME/CFS immune cells, including NK cells, CD4+ memory cells, CD4+ effector cells, CD8+ naïve cells, and CD8+ memory cells compared to healthy controls, particularly during high energy demands and activation. My findings suggest a metabolic dysfunction in ME/CFS immune cells, consistent with T cell exhaustion - a state that hinders immune cell proliferation, survival, and cytokine production following persistent antigen stimulation. Building upon these results, I further investigated immune cell exhaustion and dysfunction in isolated CD8+ and CD4+ T cells from ME/CFS and healthy samples. I analyzed T cell sub-populations, including naïve, effector, memory, regulatory, and helper T cells, for frequencies of inhibitory receptors and transcription factors associated with dysfunctional immune cell states. I detected distinct transcription factor dynamics and elevated exhausted T cell phenotype proportions in ME/CFS CD8+ T cell populations compared to healthy controls. In ME/CFS CD4+ T cells, I also observed altered inhibitory receptor population frequencies compared to healthy control samples. Moreover, dysfunctional T cell features correlated with ME/CFS health status and symptom presentation. Overall, my findings detect dysfunctional T cell states in specific ME/CFS cell populations, which can lead to reduced effector function that may contribute to ME/CFS symptom presentation. This work highlights the significance of assessing both metabolic components and immune cell dysfunction-associated targets in the development of potential therapeutic interventions for individuals with ME/CFS.

Date Issued
2023-05
Keywords
Chronic fatigue syndrome
•
ME/CFS
•
Myalgic encephalomyelitis
•
NK cells
•
T cell exhaustion
•
T cells
Committee Chair
Hanson, Maureen
Committee Member
Grimson, Andrew
Leifer, Cynthia
Degree Discipline
Genetics, Genomics and Development
Degree Name
Ph. D., Genetics, Genomics and Development
Degree Level
Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International
Rights URI
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Type
dissertation or thesis
Link(s) to Catalog Record
https://newcatalog.library.cornell.edu/catalog/16176679

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