Brenu, Ekua W, Ashton, Kevin J, Batovska, Jana et al. · PloS one · 2014 · DOI
This study looked for tiny molecular messages called microRNAs in the blood of ME/CFS patients to see if they might work as a diagnostic tool. Researchers compared blood samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people, and found three microRNAs that were higher in ME/CFS patients. This is an early-stage discovery that could eventually help doctors identify ME/CFS more easily through a simple blood test.
Finding reliable blood-based biomarkers for ME/CFS could transform diagnosis, which currently relies on symptom-based criteria. This work opens a pathway toward objective diagnostic tools that may reduce diagnostic delays and improve patient care. The identified microRNAs may also provide insights into ME/CFS disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.
This study does not prove that these microRNAs cause ME/CFS or explain the biological mechanisms involved. The small pilot nature means these findings must be replicated in larger, diverse patient populations before clinical use. Differential expression does not establish clinical utility for diagnosis—sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value in real-world settings remain unknown.
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, Batovska, Jana, Staines, Donald R, & Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya M (2014). High-throughput sequencing of plasma microRNA in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0102783
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-brenu-2014-high-throughput,
author = {Brenu, Ekua W and Ashton, Kevin J and Batovska, Jana and Staines, Donald R and Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya M},
title = {High-throughput sequencing of plasma microRNA in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.},
journal = {PloS one},
year = {2014},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0102783},
note = {PubMed: 25238588},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/brenu-2014-high-throughput},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/brenu-2014-high-throughput
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