Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and circulating cell-free DNA from plasma of chronic fatigue syndrome and non-fatigued subjects

Details

• Alternative Title:
  BMC Microbiol
• Personal Author:
  Vernon, Suzanne D ; Shukla, Sanjay K ; Conradt, Jennifer ; Unger, Elizabeth R ; Reeves, William C
• Description:
  Background
  
  The association of an infectious agent with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been difficult and is further complicated by the lack of a known lesion or diseased tissue. Cell-free plasma DNA could serve as a sentinel of infection and disease occurring throughout the body. This type of systemic sample coupled with broad-range amplification of bacterial sequences was used to determine whether a bacterial pathogen was associated with CFS. Plasma DNA from 34 CFS and 55 non-fatigued subjects was assessed to determine plasma DNA concentration and the presence of bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences.
  
  Results
  
  DNA was isolated from 81 (91%) of 89 plasma samples. The 55 non-fatigued subjects had higher plasma DNA concentrations than those with CFS (average 151 versus 91 ng) and more CFS subjects (6/34, 18%) had no detectable plasma DNA than non-fatigued subjects (2/55, 4%), but these differences were not significant. Bacterial sequences were detected in 23 (26%) of 89. Only 4 (14%) CFS subjects had 16S rDNA sequences amplified from plasma compared with 17 (32%) of the non-fatigued (P = 0.03). All but 1 of the 23 16S rDNA amplicon-positive subjects had five or more unique sequences present.
  
  Conclusions
  
  CFS subjects had slightly lower concentrations or no detectable plasma DNA than non-fatigued subjects. There was a diverse array of 16S rDNA sequences in plasma DNA from both CFS and non-fatigued subjects. There were no unique, previously uncharacterized or predominant 16S rDNA sequences in either CFS or non-fatigued subjects.
  
  
• Subjects:
  DNA DNA, Bacterial Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Humans RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
• Source:
  BMC Microbiol. 2002; 2:39.
• Pubmed ID:
  12498618
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC140017
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Volume:
  2
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:f653ec742c4b695f1d53930814b4350055249741a828a780866695869d448289
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/3369/cdc_3369_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 269.63 KB ]