Biomedical Letters

Research article | https://doi.org/10.47262/BL/9.2.20230220

Bioimpedance spectroscopy characterization of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Sara Martinez Rodriguez 1, Alberto Olmo Fernandez 2, 3 *, Daniel Martin Fernandez 3, 4, Isabel Martin-Garrido 1, 5

1 Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

2 Departamento de Tecnologia Electronica, Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria Informatica, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain

3 Instituto de Microelectronica de Sevilla, IMSE-CNM-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.

4 Departamento de Biologia Celular, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

5 Unidad de enfermedades Autoinmunes y Minoritarias, Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Sevilla, Spain

Abstract

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling and chronic disease, importantly related to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, there are no specific laboratory tests to directly diagnose ME/CFS. In this work, the use of impedance spectroscopy is studied as a potential technique for the diagnosis of ME/CFS. A specific device for the electrical characterization of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was designed and implemented. Impedance spectroscopy measurements in the range from 1 Hz to 500 MHz were carried out after the osmotic stress of the samples with sodium chloride solution at 1M concentration. The evolution in time after the osmotic stress at two specific frequencies (1.36 kHz and 154 kHz) was analyzed. The device showed its sensitivity to the presence of cells and the evolution of the osmotic processes. Higher values of impedance (around 15% for both the real and imaginary part) were measured at 1.36 kHz in ME/CFS patients compared to control samples. No significant difference was found between patient samples and control samples at 154 kHz. Results help to further understand the diagnosis of ME/CFS patients and the relation of their blood samples with bioimpedance measurements.