Bragée, Björn, Li, Peng, Meadows, Danielle et al. · Scientific reports · 2026 · DOI
Researchers analyzed fluid from the spinal cords of 31 ME/CFS patients to study 902 different proteins and understand what might be happening in their bodies. They found that patients with certain heart-related symptoms (POTS) had different protein patterns, and those with more severe ME/CFS had changes in immune system and blood clotting proteins. These protein patterns suggest several biological processes may be involved in ME/CFS, providing clues for future research.
This study provides the first systematic proteomics analysis of CSF in ME/CFS, identifying specific biological pathways associated with disease heterogeneity—particularly POTS comorbidity and severity. These findings offer mechanistic insights that could guide future diagnostic biomarker development and targeted therapeutic investigations for this poorly understood condition.
This study does not establish causation—protein pattern differences may be consequences rather than causes of ME/CFS. The small sample size (n=31) and lack of independent replication limit definitive conclusions about which proteins would reliably predict disease severity or POTS in larger populations. Cross-sectional design prevents assessment of whether these protein patterns precede symptom onset or change with treatment.
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
Bragée, Björn, Li, Peng, Meadows, Danielle, Widgren, Anna, Sjögren, Per, Ghatan, Per Hamid, et al. (2026). Proteomic signatures in cerebrospinal fluid and their clinical associations in patients with ME/CFS.. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46965-1
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-brage-2026-proteomic-signatures,
author = {Bragée, Björn and Li, Peng and Meadows, Danielle and Widgren, Anna and Sjögren, Per and Ghatan, Per Hamid and Bertilson, Bo C and Xiao, Wenzhong and Bergquist, Jonas},
title = {Proteomic signatures in cerebrospinal fluid and their clinical associations in patients with ME/CFS.},
journal = {Scientific reports},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-46965-1},
note = {PubMed: 41932997},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/brage-2026-proteomic-signatures},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/brage-2026-proteomic-signatures
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