Prevalence of fatigue in children
Thanks to a team of researchers from the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Epidemiology Project, we now have prevalence data for chronic fatigue in children and adolescents. The team, led by Dr. Karen Jordan, has published results of a screening of 12,000 households in Chicago with children ages 5-17.

The results indicate that more than 4% of those children had serious fatigue and 2% had “CFS-like” illness. The number of children who had CFS is probably lower than 2%.

The study, which is published in the most recent issue of The Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (2000, volume 6), showed that adolescents had a slightly higher rate of CFS-like illness (2.91%) than pre-pubescent children (1.96%). Those diagnosed with CFS-like illness were almost evenly divided between male (47.5%) and female (52.5%). Children of Latino origin had the highest representation in the CFS-like group.

Mycoplasma and urinary infections
In the past, mycoplasmas in the urinary tract were generally considered harmless. Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio dispute that theory in the April issue of Urology.

Their research shows that infection with ureaplasma urealyticum or Mycoplasma hominis may be responsible for a sizeable percentage of chronic urinary tract problems in women.

The researchers tested 48 women referred for complex urinary problems and possible interstitial cystitis. More than half tested positive for mycoplasma infections, which disappeared after treatment with antibiotics.

“After excluding anatomic, neurologic or other infectious etiologies, we recommend culturing and treating mycoplasma in women with chronic voiding symptoms before pursuing… more invasive diagnostic procedures,” the researchers say.

Erythrocyte damage
Two papers in The Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (2000, volume 6) discuss links between damage to red blood cells (erythrocytes) and CFS. Researchers from the University of Newcastle and Royal Newcastle Hospital in Australia were able to subtype a small group of CFS patients and distinguish them from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients based on the morphology, or shape, of their red blood cells.

CFS patients had more cells in which the inner membrane had expanded. The researchers also looked at whether the CFS patients’ blood was more viscous, or thick, due to the changes in their red blood cells, but found no significant differences between the CFS and RA patients.

In another paper in the issue, the same group of researchers found evidence of oxidative damage in the erythrocytes of CFS and RA patients. They speculate that free radicals, roving, highly reactive molecules, may explain the shape changes.

Vaccines linked to GWS
Could vaccines be a cause of Gulf War Syndrome (GWS)? Controversial research published in the May issue of the British Medical Journal suggests that they may be. The researchers found that the British military personnel who received multiple vaccinations during deployment to the Gulf War were up to five times more likely to suffer from a range of problems.

Writing in BMJ, the researchers noted that “Multiple vaccinations in themselves do not seem to be harmful, but combined with the stress of deployment they may be associated with adverse health outcomes.”

An accompanying editorial piece in the journal warns that the research is inconclusive. It fails to account for effect of exposure to other toxic agents and information about vaccinations was provided by the study participants rather than from medical records.