Herrera, Santiago, de Vega, Wilfred C, Ashbrook, David et al. · Epigenetics · 2018 · DOI
This study examined how genes and chemical switches on genes (called methylation) work together in ME/CFS patients. Researchers compared immune cells from people with ME/CFS to healthy people, looking at hundreds of thousands of genetic markers and chemical modifications. They found that certain chemical switches on genes involved in immune function and energy production are different in ME/CFS patients, and these differences are connected to a person's genetic makeup.
This study provides evidence that ME/CFS involves complex interactions between inherited genetic factors and acquired epigenetic changes, moving beyond single-factor explanations. Understanding these interactions may help identify biomarkers for diagnosis and potential therapeutic targets in immune and metabolic pathways.
This study does not prove that genetic or epigenetic differences cause ME/CFS—it only shows associations. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether methylation changes precede disease onset or result from having the illness. The findings in T-lymphocytes may not reflect changes in other cell types or tissues.
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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