Reduction of Glucocorticoid Receptor Function in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Table 2
Ex vivo glucocorticoid receptor response assay data.
HC ()
CFS ()
PSS ()
KW
CFS versus HC
CFS versus PSS
PSS versus HC
IL-6
Null
1.3 (0.4 to 2.3)
1.6 (0.7–5.5)
1.3 (0.8 to1.7)
0.193
0.115
0.158
0.841
LPS
14515.2 (12521.4 to 15196.4)
9517.8 (6994.4 to 12705.7)
16407.6 (12750.4 to 21912.2)
<0.0005
0.001
<0.0005
0.111
dex10
13070.1 (10768 to 15175.2)
9013.1 (6268.4 to 12568.1)
15517.0 (12445.0 to 20557.3)
<0.0005
0.007
<0.0005
0.096
dex100
7035.9 (5553.0 to 10618.0)
5606.2 (3394.6 to 7914.2)
10757.4 (7879.5 to 12655.4)
<0.0005
0.037
<0.0005
0.014
% suppression dex10
3.0 (−4.5 to 12.1)
7.1 (−3.6 to 15.2)
4.3 (−1.1 to 11.8)
0.806
0.626
0.561
0.938
% suppression dex100
47.1 (24.4 to 54.1)
40.5 (28.4 to 54.8)
36.2 (24.7 to 48.9)
0.235
0.697
0.172
0.113
LPS versus dex10
0.171
0.019
0.008
LPS versus dex100
<0.0005
<0.0005
<0.0005
% suppression dex10 versus dex100
<0.0005
<0.0005
<0.0005
IL-10
Null
0.0 (0.0 to 0.0)
0.0 (0.0 to 0.5)
0.4 (0.0 to 1.0)
0.007
0.615
0.003
0.031
LPS
121.7 (66.6 to 260.0)
95.8 (58.3 to 149.5)
149.7 (80.3 to 240.6)
0.032
0.114
0.011
0.585
dex10
179.3 (100 to 264.3)
111.9 (76.7 to 151.8)
157.7 (98.0 to 249.0)
0.029
0.020
0.040
0.772
dex100
248.1 (144.7 to 314.6)
135.7 (81.4 to 214.0)
197.6 (115.2 to 250.9)
0.004
0.003
0.014
0.346
% suppression dex10
−17.5 (−59.4 to −1.0)
−5.3 (−31.6 to 6.4)
−12.2 (−23.6 to 9.8)
0.375
0.249
0.779
0.177
% suppression dex100
−56.1 (−110.4 to −24.5)
−29.2 (−95.2 to 1.9)
−33.7 (−69.6 to 4.1)
0.321
0.168
1.000
0.183
LPS versus dex10
0.027
0.010
0.091
LPS versus dex100
0.002
0.002
0.006
% suppression dex10 versus dex100
0.001
0.007
0.003
TNFα
Null
0.6 (0.0 to 1.2)
0.5 (0.0 to 0.9)
0.7 (0.0 to 1.0)
0.547
0.596
0.264
0.778
LPS
1682.6 (895.0 to 2055.8)
937.5 (636.4 to 1262.9)
1872.4 (1275.1 to 2410.9)
<0.0005
0.008
<0.0005
0.403
dex10
1072.0 (659.0 to 1473.4)
743.5 (500.0 to 900.2)
1428.2 (797.5 to 1942.8)
0.001
0.019
0.001
0.170
dex100
261.4 (129.3 to 500.6)
246.2 (152.2 to 245.4)
389.2 (242.3 to 611.9)
0.026
0.511
0.006
0.129
% suppression dex10
29.7 (25.0 to 37.2)
21.3 (10.6 to 37.5)
28.9 (12.7 to 39.9)
0.443
0.183
0.645
0.496
% suppression dex100
82.7 (77.9 to 87.0)
74.9 (62.6 to 83.6)
76.9 (67.6 to 84.5)
0.080
0.034
0.818
0.060
LPS versus dex10
<0.0005
<0.0005
0.001
LPS versus dex100
<0.0005
<0.0005
<0.0005
% suppression dex10 versus dex100
<0.0005
<0.0005
<0.0005
Cytokine concentrations (in pg/ml) and percent cytokine suppression on 10 nm dexamethasone and 100 nm dexamethasone in healthy controls (HCs), participants with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and primary Sjögren’s syndrome (PSS). Comparisons are the values for the independent samples Kruskal-Wallis (KW) comparison of the medians across the 3 groups (HC, CFS and PSS) and the Mann–Whitney U comparisons between two groups (e.g. HC versus CFS). The significance levels for the comparison of cytokine levels in the samples treated with LPS and those treated in addition with dexamethasone, using Related Samples Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, are also shown for the three groups.
