Immunadsorption bei ME/CFS und PCS

In her presentation, Dr. Elisa Stein provided an overview of therapeutic studies on immunoadsorption for ME/CFS. She emphasised that, in a subgroup of post-infectious ME/CFS patients, autoimmunity serves as the underlying basis for disease pathogenesis, and that patients exhibit elevated levels of autoantibodies. These G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) autoantibodies can be removed via immunoadsorption, resulting in symptom improvement. Furthermore, Dr. Stein discussed a study on immunoadsorption conducted between 2022 and 2023, which led to improvements in fatigue scores, pain levels, post-exertional malaise (PEM), and autonomic dysfunction in about two-thirds of the study participants. This study also demonstrated the existence of a specific immunophenotype profile that allows for the differentiation between responders and non-responders to immunoadsorption. Dr. Stein reported on another small-scale study, which had a clinical duration of eight weeks rather than four. She attributed this extended study duration to the longer adjustment period required by patients—particularly in the aftermath of PEM. This study, too, revealed a symptomatic trajectory similar to that of the previously mentioned study: an improvement in symptoms during the three to six months following the therapy, followed by a subsequent deterioration accompanied by a renewed rise in autoantibody levels. In her presentation, Dr. Stein highlighted the critical importance of differentiating between individual subgroups based on their distinct immunophenotypes, as well as their specific immune and autoimmune profiles. This differentiation is intended to serve as the foundation for planned therapeutic studies focusing on B-cell and plasma cell depletion.