Prevalence of Mycotoxins in the Urine of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Florida, USA

Objective: The key purpose of this study is to demonstrate the prevalence of mycotoxin present in patients who have CFS Background: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, abbreviated as CFS, is a complex disorder characterized by post-exertional malaise, difficulty with cognition, somatosensory pain, and dizziness without any other underlying medical condition. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), between 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans suffer from CFS, with a majority of them being undiagnosed. Past studies have shown that viral infections, changes in micro-biome of the gastrointestinal system, genetics, and mycotoxins play a key role in the etiology of CFS. Methods: Urine analysis was performed on 137 patients to detect the following mold toxins: Aflatoxin, Ochratoxin A, and Gliotoxin derivative. The results were either informed via Great Plains Lab which utilizes ELISA to quantify the levels of mold toxins and Real Time Lab which utilizes chromatography. Results: The results of the urine analysis demonstrate that every single patient has at least one of the following toxins present in their urine in significant amounts. In addition, over 90% of the patients have at least two of the three mold toxins present in their urine. Conclusion: This study has further strengthened the existing theory that correlates the relationship between mold toxicity and CFS. Grants: No grants were utilized in order to fulfill this research project