Huth, T K, Brenu, E W, Staines, D R et al. · Gene regulation and systems biology · 2016 · DOI
This study looked at special immune cells called Natural Killer cells and the genes that control them in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers examined specific genetic variations in 20 ME/CFS patients and 20 healthy controls. They found that people with ME/CFS had a lower frequency of a particular genetic pattern related to immune cell control, which may help explain why some ME/CFS patients have weaker immune responses.
This is the first study to identify a specific genetic difference in KIR receptors associated with ME/CFS, potentially linking genetic variation to the reduced Natural Killer cell function repeatedly observed in this population. Understanding these genetic factors could help explain the immune dysfunction in ME/CFS and may guide future research into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.
This study does not prove that the KIR genetic variation causes ME/CFS, only that there is an association. The small pilot sample (20 patients per group) limits confidence in the findings. The study does not demonstrate whether this genetic difference directly causes reduced NK cell function or how it relates to ME/CFS symptoms.
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
Huth, T K, Brenu, E W, Staines, D R, & Marshall-Gradisnik, S M (2016). Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor Genotype and Haplotype Investigation of Natural Killer Cells from an Australian Population of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients.. Gene regulation and systems biology. https://doi.org/10.4137/GRSB.S39861
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-huth-2016-killer-cell,
author = {Huth, T K and Brenu, E W and Staines, D R and Marshall-Gradisnik, S M},
title = {Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor Genotype and Haplotype Investigation of Natural Killer Cells from an Australian Population of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Patients.},
journal = {Gene regulation and systems biology},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.4137/GRSB.S39861},
note = {PubMed: 27346947},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/huth-2016-killer-cell},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/huth-2016-killer-cell
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.