Baraniuk, J N, Clauw, D, Yuta, A et al. · American journal of rhinology · 1998 · DOI
Many people with ME/CFS experience nasal congestion and rhinitis symptoms, but don't test positive for allergies. This study analyzed nasal fluid from ME/CFS patients and compared it to people with allergies, cystic fibrosis, and healthy controls to understand what might be causing these symptoms. The researchers found that ME/CFS patients' nasal fluid looked similar to healthy controls, suggesting that the constant baseline secretion processes in the nose are not abnormal in ME/CFS.
Nasal/sinus symptoms affect most ME/CFS patients but are poorly understood, especially in those without allergies. This study provides objective biochemical evidence that FM/CFS-associated rhinitis operates through different mechanisms than allergic rhinitis, potentially guiding more targeted symptom management and future research into irritant-sensitivity or neurogenic inflammation.
This study does not prove that rhinitis symptoms in ME/CFS are not mediated by nasal pathology—only that basal secretory markers are not elevated. It cannot explain what causes the rhinitis symptoms that patients actually experience, nor does it rule out inducible or reflex-mediated mechanisms. The small sample size and cross-sectional design limit generalizability and cannot establish causation.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Baraniuk, J N, Clauw, D, Yuta, A, Ali, M, Gaumond, E, Upadhyayula, N, et al. (1998). Nasal secretion analysis in allergic rhinitis, cystic fibrosis, and nonallergic fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome subjects.. American journal of rhinology. https://doi.org/10.2500/105065898780707964
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-baraniuk-1998-nasal-secretion,
author = {Baraniuk, J N and Clauw, D and Yuta, A and Ali, M and Gaumond, E and Upadhyayula, N and Fujita, K and Shimizu, T},
title = {Nasal secretion analysis in allergic rhinitis, cystic fibrosis, and nonallergic fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome subjects.},
journal = {American journal of rhinology},
year = {1998},
doi = {10.2500/105065898780707964},
note = {PubMed: 9883301},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/baraniuk-1998-nasal-secretion},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/baraniuk-1998-nasal-secretion
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