Our contributor and ME expert Dr Michael Midgley is working on an ongoing report into neutrophil vitality in the illness myalgic encephalomyelitis – something he’s suffered with for many years. Here, in his latest blog piece, he reports his findings:

Hypothesis

Neutrophil vitality is significantly reduced in patients suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis,  Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, compared with healthy controls.

Suffering from ME? Don’t go it alone

Introduction

In this preliminary paper, I use the term ME to include Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.  These three conditions are not separate diseases but are different manifestations of the same clinical syndrome.

At the present time, I am unaware of any reliable laboratory test that can be used to diagnose ME.

Nevertheless, although by no means diagnostic, my experiments with Live Blood Microscopy have led me to the tentative conclusion that neutrophils, when observed in the living state, show diminished vitality in ME patients as compared with healthy controls.

A tiny drop of blood from a finger prick is viewed immediately, in its living state, by both practitioner and patient, under a high powered microscope, at a magnification of x5000.

The resultant moving picture is recorded at 25 frames per second onto a sophisticated video editing programme (Avid) as a permanent record for further study.

Neutrophil vitality

My early observations seemed to show that the neutrophils in ME sufferers were not only smaller than in healthy controls, but also slower moving.

I later observed that neutrophils in ME sufferers, as well as being small and slow, could also be large and slow or small and fast.

It seemed reasonable to me to combine their speed and size into a single parameter in order, at least partially, to cancel out these discrepancies and to arrive at a measure of neutrophil vitality..

I therefore devised two measurement techniques, the first to measure neutrophil size and the second to measure neutrophil speed.

Neutrophil size

When viewed under the microscope in its living state, the human neutrophil moves through the plasma, changing shape as it goes.  It also frequently changes direction, often reversing its direction.  It is therefore difficult to measure its size.

This difficulty is overcome by selecting a single frame from the video and using a special computer programme to draw round the circumference of the neutrophil.  The programme then automatically measures, quite accurately, the area occupied by the neutrophil in square microns.  A total of 5 measurements are made and averaged.  The parameter: Nsµ  (neutrophil square micron count) is thus established.

Neutrophil speed

This is not too difficult to measure. The leading edge of the neutrophil is marked on a VDU screen with a spirit pen.  A second mark is made after 10 seconds (providing that the neutrophil behaves itself and doesn’t change direction in the meantime).  Using a graticule, neutrophil speed in microns per second can then be measured fairly accurately.  The parameter Nµ/s (neutrophil speed in microns per second) is thus measured.

Neutrophil Vitality Index

Neutrophil Vitality Index  = Neutrophil size in square microns x Neutrophil speed in microns per second.  Or NVI = Nsµ x Nµ/s.

Click on the image to enlarge

This formula enables me to compare, fairly accurately, the neutrophil vitality in ME sufferers with the neutrophil vitality in healthy controls.  The following table details my results so far:

Click on the image to enlarge

Do you suffer from ME? Can you offer any tips to fellow sufferers? Do let us know if this blog post was helpful by commenting below.

Remember to always consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before embarking on any treatment, it’s your health and it’s IMPORTANT. www.naturalcures.com/disclaimer

If you enjoy reading these articles you might be interested in receiving our monthly newsletter. Read more here

Members don't forget you can view all past and present Newsletters on the site here

Dr Michael Midgley (8 Posts)

Having suffered from ME for over 40 years, Dr Michael Midgley, MB, Ch.B, MRCGP, MBKSTS, has experimented at length on his own body by using a number of therapeutic measures. A former trainer in general practice with the NHS, Dr Michael has since discovered natural health and brought his ME under control. Once house surgeon to John Charnley, the inventor of the artificial hip, as well as house physician to Dr Richard Stone, completing research into tidal drainage of the bladder, Dr Michael has also worked as an army medical officer in Germany. Today, he’s a principal in the single- handed general practice, Overton Studios in the UK’s Colwyn Bay. Dr Michael believes that myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome and fibromyalgia are all part of a single spectrum of disease, and as such all respond to the same therapeutic approach. Despite his keen interest in health, Dr Michael says that after 40 years, he’s still learning how to achieve mastery over his ME. Learn more about Michael via his website at www.ostrust.co.uk