Date of Award

1-1-2023

Language

English

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College/School/Department

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Content Description

1 online resource (iii, 48 pages)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Dr. Roxana Moslehi

Committee Members

Dr. Melissa Tracy, Dr. Amiran Dzutsev

Keywords

chronic fatigue syndrome, environmental contaminants, illness, myalgic encephalomyelitis, stress, surgery, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Myalgic encephalomyelitis

Subject Categories

Epidemiology

Abstract

AbstractBackground: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), is a complex disease that includes the dysregulation of the Central Nervous system. There is no exact known etiology or pathophysiology which leads to the development of ME/CFS. To understand the possible causes behind this mysterious disease, I conducted this project under the guidance of Dr. Moslehi to evaluate a range of demographic, lifestyle, and epidemiological factors and their risk in the development of ME/CFS. Methods: My project is part of a case-control study conducted by Dr. Roxana Moslehi. ME/CFS is a rare disease, so a case-control study design was chosen by Dr. Moslehi and her collaborators.59 Cases and 54 controls were recruited from 2016-2019 from the Sierra Internal Medicine (SIM), a collaborating clinic in Nevada. Structured interviews were conducted by Dr. Moslehi and a member of her research team after informed consent was obtained from the participants by the clinic staff. During structured interviews, an epidemiological research questionnaire and a multigeneration pedigree was obtained on all cases and controls. In addition, a general health questionnaire was obtained during the time of extraction of blood samples from all participants. My Project will focus on the variables obtained from the epidemiological questionnaire. The statistical methods I used include t-tests, chi-square test, fisher’s exact test and unconditional logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors for ME/CFS and suggest avenues for further exploration. Results: Unconditional unadjusted logistic regression analysis of epidemiological variables showed that a history of major or minor illness requiring hospitalization was associated with higher odds of ME/CFS [OR = 4.332, 95% CI = (1.934-9.706)], as was s history of exposure to major contaminants (OR = 4.35, 95% CI = (1.964-9.646)) and history of major surgeries (OR = 2.68, 95% CI = (1.041-6.919)). When restricting that occurred before the ME/CFS diagnosis, exposure to major contaminants remained associated with ME/CFS (OR = 2.104, 95% CI = (1.976-4.536)). Common surgeries reported by cases and controls included Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) surgeries (n=37; 24.67% of cases) and Musculoskeletal and Nervous system-related surgeries (n= 26; 17.33% of controls). Descriptive analysis showed that both cases (n=47; 72.31%) and controls (n=21; 35.9%) had chemical exposure as the most common contaminant. The most common conjectured reason cited by ME/CFS that led to their development of ME/CFS was infectious illness (n=24; 27.28%), followed by infectious agents (n= 14; 15.91%) and stress (n=14; 15.91%). Conclusion: This project is distinct and unlike any other study that has been conducted before. Its uniqueness lies in the methodology and approach employed, which sets it apart from other research endeavors. This research endeavor aimed to establish a correlation between novel findings and current medical understanding, thereby assisting healthcare practitioners in identifying and managing ME/CFS. Future researchers can modify the design of the studies b

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