Ciregia, Federica, Giusti, Laura, Da Valle, Ylenia et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2013 · DOI
Researchers studied saliva samples from identical twins—one with ME/CFS and one healthy—to look for protein differences that might help diagnose the disease. They found 13 proteins that were expressed differently in the sick twin compared to the healthy twin, with many of these proteins linked to inflammation and immune system function. This suggests that a simple saliva test might one day help doctors diagnose ME/CFS more reliably.
This study provides preliminary evidence that ME/CFS involves measurable protein abnormalities in saliva, offering hope for developing a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker. The focus on inflammatory and immune pathways may help clarify the biological mechanisms underlying ME/CFS, potentially directing future therapeutic research.
This study does not prove that any of these proteins cause ME/CFS or that they are unique diagnostic markers—findings from a single twin pair cannot be generalized to the broader ME/CFS population. The differential expression could reflect individual variation rather than disease-specific pathology, and correlation between protein levels and disease does not establish causation.
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
Ciregia, Federica, Giusti, Laura, Da Valle, Ylenia, Donadio, Elena, Consensi, Arianna, Giacomelli, Camillo, et al. (2013). A multidisciplinary approach to study a couple of monozygotic twins discordant for the chronic fatigue syndrome: a focus on potential salivary biomarkers.. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5876-11-243
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-ciregia-2013-multidisciplinary-approach,
author = {Ciregia, Federica and Giusti, Laura and Da Valle, Ylenia and Donadio, Elena and Consensi, Arianna and Giacomelli, Camillo and Sernissi, Francesca and Scarpellini, Pietro and Maggi, Fabrizio and Lucacchini, Antonio and Bazzichi, Laura},
title = {A multidisciplinary approach to study a couple of monozygotic twins discordant for the chronic fatigue syndrome: a focus on potential salivary biomarkers.},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2013},
doi = {10.1186/1479-5876-11-243},
note = {PubMed: 24088505},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/ciregia-2013-multidisciplinary-approach},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/ciregia-2013-multidisciplinary-approach
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