Plasma neuropeptide Y
Plasma neuropeptide Y: a biomarker for symptom severity in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Researchers at the University of Miami and University of Alberta have recently published data comparing levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in plasma samples taken from 93 CFS patients, 100 healthy sedentary controls and 37 individuals with Gulf War Illness.
This study is the first in the CFS literature to report that plasma NPY is elevated compared to healthy controls and compared to a fatigued comparison group, GWI patients. The significant correlations of NPY with stress, negative mood, general health, depression and cognitive function strongly suggest that this peptide be considered as a biomarker to distinguish subsets of CFS.
The authors state that this data added to other information supports previous findings of dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in CFS, possibly due to infection.
Behavioral and Brain Functions 2010, 6:76