The February issue of The Journal of Rheumatology carried a study that appears to have found a gene responsible for fibromyalgia! Autoimmune Technologies, LLC, a biotechnology company based in New Orleans, announced a new antibody found in the blood of many FMS patients. Anti-Polymer Antibody Reactivity in a Subset of Patients with Fibromyalgia Correlates with Severity told of a patented test called the Anti-Polymer Antibody Assay (APA Assay) that is able to find the new antibody in about half of FMS patients and in higher numbers of those who fit the American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria and have severe symptoms!
The chronic pain disorder is found in nearly 80% of those with CFIDS/ME and affects millions worldwide. The lead investigator of the study, Dr. Russell B. Wilson said, "Our results show that there is a unique immunological response in many fibromyalgia patients." The antibody found may be associated with one of several causes since it tends to be more readily found in very severe cases. This could be a future laboratory marker! Well-known fibromyalgia expert Dr. Robert Bennett said, "The promise of a potentially useful diagnostic marker is an exciting development in the field." Auto-immune Technologies will apply to the FDA for approval of a kit form of the assay. The assay has already been shown to be reproducible by the NIH and another government laboratory in the Netherlands. Other confirmatory studies are underway. The anti-polymer antibodies were discovered by Tulane University researchers, and the lab was given a license to develop a test based on the discovery. Right now, the assays will be used only for research areas but may be used as regular diagnostic markers in the future.¯

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