http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/services/Feed ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:1519 Aim: To assess whether there is any association between membrane damaging toxin production by Staphylococcus spp. and self-reported TMD symptom expression in a group of patients selected to have CFS. Methods: Thirty-three defined Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients and 33 ageand sex-matched controls were assessed to evaluate the relationship between carriage of membrane damaging toxin producing staphylococcus, CFS and temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) symptoms. Results: The CFS patients had an increased prevalence of face pain (Odds Ratio = 21.0, 95% CL 4.2-106, P < .001) and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking/locking (OR = 5.7, 95% CL 1.423.5, P < .007), and the coagulase-negative staphylococcus maximum% B*-toxin haemolysis per patient. Both multivariate and univariate analyses revealed an association between the membrane damaging o*-toxin producing CoNS (MDT-CoNS) species per subject and face pain prevalence and intensity within both the CFS patients and the control subjects. No association was found between CoNS toxin production and TMJ clicking/locking. Importantly, áand B*-toxin production by CoNS was associated with patient reporting of arthritis. Conclusions: These data confirm the original observations of the association between MDTCoNS and facial muscle pain (Butt et al, 1998; McGregor et al, 2003). These data also suggest that MDT-CoNS associated facial muscle pain expression represents a distinct clinical entity, which has an increased prevalence in CFS patients. 2010-04-27T06:29:06.763Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5667 The report by M A Weber and colleagues (May 31, p 1848) supports many previous studies in which Staphylococcus aureus and gram negative organisms were isolated from infants who died suddenly and unexpectedly. S aureus best fits predictions of the bacterial toxin hypothesis of sudden unexpected death in infancy. There are research groups with specialist techniques for detection of various bacterial toxins and the host’s response to them; co-operative studies between these groups with clinical teams such as that at Great Ormond Street could provide significant insights into the role of infectious agents and inflammation in SUDI. 2010-04-27T04:38:29.691Z ]]>