Buchwald, D, Komaroff, A L · Reviews of infectious diseases · 1991 · DOI
This review examined blood test results from many ME/CFS patients and found several patterns in how their immune systems function differently. The most common findings included weaker natural killer cells (which normally help fight infections), unusual antibody levels, and signs of past Epstein-Barr virus infection. These patterns appeared across multiple studies, suggesting they may be important features of the condition.
This review consolidated evidence that ME/CFS involves measurable immune system abnormalities, providing scientific support for the biological nature of the condition rather than it being purely psychological. Identifying consistent laboratory patterns helps establish ME/CFS as a medical condition and may guide future research into disease mechanisms and potential biomarkers.
This review does not prove that any single abnormality causes ME/CFS, nor does it establish whether these immune changes are primary triggers or secondary consequences of the illness. The findings are correlational and do not indicate why some patients develop these patterns while others do not, and it cannot determine whether these abnormalities persist, worsen, or improve over time.
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 →
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