Implications of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on quality of life and the role of transient receptor potential melastatin 3 ion channels on natural killer cells in the pathomechanism of illness

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious disorder of unknown aetiology with an abstruse pathomechanism. Diagnosis is often delayed due to the lack of laboratory tests and specific diagnostic criteria as well as the lack of effective treatments that heightens the burden of illness. ME/CFS is characterised by post-exertional malaise and neuroimmune exhaustion, accompanied by symptoms that are neurological, immunological, endocrinological, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary in nature. To date, the cause and origin remain ambiguous, hence patients often try different treatment options to improve health, but without much success. The burden of ME/CFS on quality of life (QoL) is a key component of this thesis, therefore, the first aim was to determine the impact of ME/CFS on QoL. For the first phase of this thesis, using an online survey, self-reported data was collected from 480 individuals diagnosed with ME/CFS (46.0 ± 12.3 years). A multivariate linear regression was used to determine the correlation between ME/CFS symptom presentation with QoL. Health-related QoL (HRQoL) was significantly impaired in ME/CFS patients across all eight SF-36 domains when compared with Australian general population norms obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (p<0.001). ME/CFS patients reported the lowest SF-36 scores for physical role of illness on limitations (4.1 ± 15.1). Lower QoL scores in limitations due to physical functioning were associated with gender (p<0.001, adjusted R2=0.236), high body mass index (BMI) (p=0.015, adjusted R2=0.236), unemployment (p<0.001, adjusted R2=0.236), cognitive difficulties (p=0.014, adjusted R2=0.236), sensory disturbances (p<0.001, adjusted R2=0.236) and cardiovascular symptoms (p<0.001, adjusted R2=0.236). Low scores for limitations due to pain were associated with high BMI (p=0.008, adjusted R2=0.497), flu-like symptoms (p=0.037, adjusted R2=0.497) and body temperature intolerances (p=0.035, adjusted R2=
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Pharmacy & Med Sci
Griffith Health
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