Brenu, Ekua W, Ashton, Kevin J, van Driel, Mieke et al. · Journal of affective disorders · 2012 · DOI
Researchers studied tiny molecules called microRNAs in immune cells from people with ME/CFS and healthy controls. They found that people with ME/CFS have lower levels of certain microRNAs in their immune cells, which may explain why their immune systems don't work as well. These microRNA changes could be useful biomarkers—like a fingerprint—to help diagnose or understand ME/CFS.
This research provides potential biological markers that could help objectively identify ME/CFS, a condition currently diagnosed only by symptoms. Understanding the molecular basis of immune dysfunction in ME/CFS could eventually lead to better diagnostic tools and targeted treatments. The findings support the hypothesis that ME/CFS involves measurable immune system abnormalities rather than being purely psychological.
This study does not prove that microRNA changes cause ME/CFS—only that they are associated with the condition. The findings have not yet been validated in larger populations or clinical settings, so they cannot be used for diagnosis yet. Correlation between microRNA levels and immune dysfunction does not establish the direction of causality or whether these changes are primary drivers or secondary consequences of illness.
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
Brenu, Ekua W, Ashton, Kevin J, van Driel, Mieke, Staines, Donald R, Peterson, Daniel, Atkinson, Gunn M, et al. (2012). Cytotoxic lymphocyte microRNAs as prospective biomarkers for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.. Journal of affective disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.037
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-brenu-2012-cytotoxic-lymphocyte,
author = {Brenu, Ekua W and Ashton, Kevin J and van Driel, Mieke and Staines, Donald R and Peterson, Daniel and Atkinson, Gunn M and Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya M},
title = {Cytotoxic lymphocyte microRNAs as prospective biomarkers for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.},
journal = {Journal of affective disorders},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.037},
note = {PubMed: 22572093},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/brenu-2012-cytotoxic-lymphocyte},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/brenu-2012-cytotoxic-lymphocyte
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