Jammes, Yves, Adjriou, Nabil, Kipson, Nathalie et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2020 · DOI
This study examined muscle function and stress markers in 72 ME/CFS patients during rest, exercise, and recovery. Researchers found that about half the patients showed significant changes in how their muscles respond to electrical signals, combined with higher levels of oxidative stress (cellular damage from chemical imbalance). The other half showed normal muscle responses and lower stress markers. This suggests ME/CFS may include at least two different biological subtypes.
This study provides objective biomarkers (muscle membrane excitability and oxidative stress measurements) that could help identify subgroups within ME/CFS, potentially explaining why patients respond differently to treatments. If confirmed, these findings could enable more precise diagnosis and tailored treatment strategies based on individual biological profiles rather than symptom patterns alone.
This study does not establish causation—it shows correlation between oxidative stress and muscle membrane changes but cannot prove which causes which or if both result from another process. The findings are observational in a single cohort and lack healthy control groups, so it remains unclear whether these biomarkers are specific to ME/CFS or represent general muscle dysfunction. The study does not test whether correcting oxidative stress would improve muscle function or clinical 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
Jammes, Yves, Adjriou, Nabil, Kipson, Nathalie, Criado, Christine, Charpin, Caroline, Rebaudet, Stanislas, et al. (2020). Altered muscle membrane potential and redox status differentiates two subgroups of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-020-02341-9
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-jammes-2020-altered-muscle,
author = {Jammes, Yves and Adjriou, Nabil and Kipson, Nathalie and Criado, Christine and Charpin, Caroline and Rebaudet, Stanislas and Stavris, Chloé and Guieu, Régis and Fenouillet, Emmanuel and Retornaz, Frédérique},
title = {Altered muscle membrane potential and redox status differentiates two subgroups of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1186/s12967-020-02341-9},
note = {PubMed: 32306967},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jammes-2020-altered-muscle},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jammes-2020-altered-muscle
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