Bell, I R, Patarca, R, Baldwin, C M et al. · Neuropsychobiology · 1998 · DOI
This study looked at a marker in the blood called neopterin, which may indicate immune system activation, in women with chemical sensitivity (difficulty tolerating everyday chemicals at low levels), women with depression, and healthy women. The researchers found that neopterin levels themselves were similar across groups, but in women with chemical sensitivity, higher neopterin levels were linked with more physical symptoms—a connection not seen in the other groups.
ME/CFS often co-occurs with chemical sensitivity and multiple unexplained physical symptoms. This study provides preliminary evidence that immune activation (measured by neopterin) may be biologically linked to symptom burden in chemically sensitive patients, potentially supporting the biological basis of these conditions rather than attributing them solely to psychological factors.
This study does not prove that neopterin causes somatic symptoms, only that they are correlated in the CI group. The small sample sizes and cross-sectional design prevent conclusions about causality or temporal relationships. Additionally, the similar baseline neopterin levels across groups suggests that neopterin alone cannot distinguish chemical sensitivity from depression or health.
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
Bell, I R, Patarca, R, Baldwin, C M, Klimas, N G, Schwartz, G E, & Hardin, E E (1998). Serum neopterin and somatization in women with chemical intolerance, depressives, and normals.. Neuropsychobiology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000026511
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-bell-1998-serum-neopterin,
author = {Bell, I R and Patarca, R and Baldwin, C M and Klimas, N G and Schwartz, G E and Hardin, E E},
title = {Serum neopterin and somatization in women with chemical intolerance, depressives, and normals.},
journal = {Neuropsychobiology},
year = {1998},
doi = {10.1159/000026511},
note = {PubMed: 9701717},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/bell-1998-serum-neopterin},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/bell-1998-serum-neopterin
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