Alexander Martin

• MBBS
• High serum levels of IL-8 may be responsible for excessive fatigue in female carriers of X-linked Chronic Granulomatous Disease

X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (XL-CGD) is a white blood cell disorder leading to infection and inflammation. Women carrying the disease are unaffected; however many carriers report significant fatigue. I measured levels of chemicals associated with inflammation and fatigue in the blood of these women and compared them to a group of healthy people and a group with the inflammatory disorder Sjogren’s syndrome. One chemical, IL-8, was significantly higher in XL-CGD carriers than in healthy controls and Sjogren’s disease controls. IL-8 was also significantly higher in fatigued XL-CGD carriers than non-fatigued carriers. Therefore, IL-8 may drive fatigue in these women.

Funding Source: Newcastle University