Elahi, Shokrollah, Rezaeifar, Maryam, Osman, Mohammed et al. · Frontiers in immunology · 2024 · DOI
Researchers studied two proteins in the blood—galectin-9 and artemin—to see if they could help identify people with Long COVID who also have ME/CFS. They found that galectin-9 levels were higher in Long COVID patients and were linked to inflammation and thinking problems. These proteins may help doctors distinguish Long COVID with ME/CFS from people who recovered normally from COVID-19.
ME/CFS lacks objective diagnostic biomarkers, making diagnosis difficult for patients and clinicians. Identifying blood-based biomarkers like galectin-9 could enable earlier detection and differentiation of Long COVID with ME/CFS from other post-viral conditions. This research also provides evidence linking immune dysregulation and possible gut barrier dysfunction to cognitive symptoms, advancing understanding of ME/CFS mechanisms.
This study cannot establish whether galectin-9 *causes* cognitive problems or inflammation, only that they occur together. The cross-sectional design means we cannot determine if these biomarker levels change over time or predict disease progression. The findings also do not prove these biomarkers are specific to ME/CFS, as similar patterns may occur in other conditions.
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
Elahi, Shokrollah, Rezaeifar, Maryam, Osman, Mohammed, & Shahbaz, Shima (2024). Exploring the role of galectin-9 and artemin as biomarkers in long COVID with chronic fatigue syndrome: links to inflammation and cognitive function.. Frontiers in immunology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1443363
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-elahi-2024-exploring-role,
author = {Elahi, Shokrollah and Rezaeifar, Maryam and Osman, Mohammed and Shahbaz, Shima},
title = {Exploring the role of galectin-9 and artemin as biomarkers in long COVID with chronic fatigue syndrome: links to inflammation and cognitive function.},
journal = {Frontiers in immunology},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2024.1443363},
note = {PubMed: 39386210},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/elahi-2024-exploring-role},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/elahi-2024-exploring-role
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