HHHHHH HHHHHH HHHHHH H H HHHHHH H H HHHHHH H H H HH H H H H H H HHHHH HHHHHH HHHHH H H H HHHH H H H HHHHHH H H H H HHH H H H H H HHHHHH H HHHHHH H HH HHHHHH HHHHH HHHHHH Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Electronic Newsletter --------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 3 August 31, 1992 Washington DC --------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTENTS >>>1. CFS/ME Medical Journal to be published >>>2. Drug tested in New South Wales >>>3. Drug tested in Alberta >>>4. Medical publications summary >>>5. Media: CNN report on CFS in September -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>1. CFS/ME Medical Journal to be published JOURNAL OF THE CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROMES ...innovations in clinical theory, practice and research Editor: Jay A. Goldstein, MD Director, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Institute Anaheim, California The new Journal of the Chronic Fatigue Syndromes will bring together, in one professional peer-reviewed medical journal, the latest cutting edge research, debate, discussion and clinical data relating to what are now considered to be related immune deficiency disorders (CFIDS). This new journal will be the only peer reviewed scholarly medical journal dealing with all aspects of chronic fatigue syndromes. The journal will publish: - symposia on selected topics - results of clinical drug trials - research literature review articles - innovative treatment protocols - interdisciplinary interpretations from the fields of immunology, neurology and psychiatry - research news world-wide, especially in Europe where further advances in treatment and new drug developments are taking place - articles focusing on alternative treatment approaches The journal now welcomes the submission of papers for review and possible publication. Material dealing with new practices and treatment modalities important to health professionals dealing with the CFIDS patient are especially welcomed. Articles should provide contemporary information for both practicing physicians and researchers. A detailed "Instructions for Authors" brochure may be obtained from Jay A.Goldstein, M.D., Editor JOURNAL OF THE CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROMES Director, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Institute 500 South Anaheim Hills Road Anaheim, CA 92807 USA Tel: 1-714-998-2780 Fax: 1-714-998-8930 Volume 1, No.1 - Spring 1993. Quarterly. (4 issues). Volume 2, No.1 - Spring 1994. Quarterly. (4 issues). Subscription rates (per volume): Special Discounted Rate for Individuals: $ 18 Institutions: $ 24 Libraries: $ 32 [This notice was copied from John Kossowan's BBS in Augusta, Maine, tel. 1-207-623-8486 where it appears as Bulletin #82.] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>2. Drug tested in New South Wales The Chronic Fatigue Research Unit at Prince Henry Hospital in Sydney, Australia has been given approval to test what may be a major new drug for the treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The drug, called Moclobenide, is the newest addition to a class of pharmaceuticals known as monamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). They act on the brain neurotransmitter systems which are most likely to be involved in the production of severe fatigue and pain. Previous trials with MAOIs, although effective in many CFS patients, were not easily tolerated due to side-effects and dietary restrictions which needed to be observed. Moclobenide is a 'cleaner' compound, being largely free from the previously troublesome side- effects as well as not requiring any dietary restrictions. Its site of action within the central nervous system is also thought to be more specific to the type of abnormal neurochemical function hypothesized to be present in CFS. Preliminary testing of the drug on patients seen at Prince Henry has shown significant benefits in most instances. The current trial should be completed by year's end; publishable results are expected in early 1993. Any patients who have been diagnosed as having CFS/ME and who are interested in being involved in the trial should contact Dr. Andrew Wilson, School of Psychiatry, CSB, Prince Henry Hospital, Little Bay NSW 2036, telephone 694-5055. [This news appeared in Canada's MEssenger newsletter and was summarized by Duncan Thornton and the editor. Additional information was provided by Prince Henry Hospital's Dr. Andrew Wilson.] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>3. Drug tested in Alberta A Calgary, Alberta doctor who suffers from CFS thinks he has found a drug that is effective against the syndrome. "It worked for me," said Dr. Johnny Van Aerde, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta Hospital. Van Aerde was so debilitated by the disease he had to take disability leave for more than a year. "Within two weeks of taking the drug, I was back at work," said Van Aerde. The new treatment won't be revealed until November when the result of a clinical trial involving 60 Alberta patients will be released. "The drug has side effects that are potentially quite severe," Van Aerde warned. "It is already licensed for a completely different use." Van Aerde said the drug seems to work by increasing the blood flow over certain areas of the brain. [Summarized by Duncan Thornton and the editor from a story which appeared in Canada's _Financial_Post_ as re-printed in the MEssenger newsletter.] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>4. Medical publications summary The following items were selected from a bibliographic search performed by Steve Clancy. Mr. Clancy runs the Wellspring BBS at Irvine, California, tel. 1-714-856-7996. The BBS has a CFS information section. 1. Buchwald D; Cheney PR; Peterson DL; Henry B; Wormsley SB; Geiger A; Ablashi DV; Salahuddin SZ; Saxinger C; Biddle R. A chronic illness characterized by fatigue, neurologic and immunologic disorders, and active human herpesvirus type 6 infection. Annals of Internal Medicine, 1992 Jan 15, 116(2):103-13. 2. Durlach J. Chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic primary magnesium deficiency (CFS and CPMD). Magnesium Research, 1992 Mar, 5(1):68. Pub type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial. 3. Lloyd A; Hickie I; Hickie C; Dwyer J; Wakefield D. Cell-mediated immunity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, healthy control subjects and patients with major depression. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 1992 Jan, 87(1):76-9. 4. Ur E; White PD; Grossman A. Hypothesis: cytokines may be activated to cause depressive illness and chronic fatigue syndrome. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 1992, 241(5):317-22. Pub type: Journal Article; Review; Review, Tutorial. 5. Bakheit AM; Behan PO; Dinan TG; Gray CE; O'Keane V. Possible upregulation of hypothalamic 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors in patients with postviral fatigue syndrome. Bmj, 1992 Apr 18, 304(6833):1010-2. 6. Calabrese LH; Danao T; Camara EG; Wilke WS. Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 1992 Mar-Apr, 59(2):123-4. 7. Riccio M; Thompson C; Wilson B; Morgan DJ; Lant AF. Neuropsychological and psychiatric abnormalities in myalgic encephalomyelitis: a preliminary report. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1992 Feb, 31 ( Pt 1):111-20. 8. Hudson JI; Goldenberg DL; Pope HG Jr; Keck PE Jr; Schlesinger L. Comorbidity of fibromyalgia with medical and psychiatric disorders. American Journal of Medicine, 1992 Apr, 92(4):363-7. BOOKS, ETC. ----------- 1. Chronic fatigue syndrome : a pamphlet for physicians. [Bethesda, Md.] : U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, [1992]. Series title: NIH publication ; no. 92-484. 2. California. Legislature. Senate. Public Employment and Retirement Committee. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and applications for disability retirement benefits / Senate Committee on Public Employment and Retirement ; Cecil Green, chairman. Sacramento, CA : Senate Publications, [1991]. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- >>>5. Media: CNN report on CFS in September The CNN television network will be broadcasting a report on CFS in 5 daily segments during Sept. 14 through 18. Each segment will be about 10 minutes long. They are scheduled for broadcast sometime between 5:00 and 5:30 PM each day, with repeats during 8:00 - 8:30 PM and 12:00 - 12:30 AM (USA Eastern time zone). Also, Newsweek and Time magazines are both planning to publish CFS stories in mid-September. [Information provided by David Patterson of the CFIDS Association, North Carolina USA.] ===================================================================== CFS-NEWS is an independent newsletter edited by Roger Burns in Wash- ington D.C. and is distributed on Internet and Fidonet. Suggestions and contributions of news may be sent via Internet to CFS-NEWS @LIST.NIH.GOV, or via Fido NetMail to Roger Burns at 1:109/432, or post a message to the CFS echo. Copyright (c) 1992 by Roger Burns. Permission is granted to excerpt this document if the source (CFS-NEWS) is cited. Permission is also granted to reproduce the entirety of this document unaltered. Note that Fido and Fidonet are registered marks of Tom Jennings and Fido Software. ===================================================================== INTERNET users are encouraged to obtain the RESOURCE file and other CFS files at the NIH file server. To obtain the resource file send Internet e-mail to the address SERVER@CU.NIH.GOV with the subject line GET FTP CFS.RESOURCE (the message text is ignored). Or log in via anonymous ftp to cu.nih.gov or 128.134.64.7 with password=guest, directory=CFS, filename=RESOURCE. Distribution of CFS-NEWS on the Internet is sponsored by the NIH Computing Utility; however, this independent newsletter does not represent the views of the National Institutes of Health. To subscribe, send the command SUB CFS-NEWS to the address LISTSERV@NIHLIST.BITNET or @LIST.NIH.GOV CFS-NEWS is also posted to the CFS echo on Fidonet. ===================================================================== ---