Jason, Leonard A, Kalns, John, Richarte, Alicia et al. · Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior · 2021 · DOI
Researchers tested whether a simple saliva test could help diagnose severe ME/CFS in children and teens. They measured two protein fragments in saliva from young people with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy controls. The study found that this 'Fatigue Biomarker Index' showed significant differences between those with severe ME/CFS and healthy youth, suggesting it might one day be a useful objective test to help doctors diagnose the condition.
ME/CFS currently lacks objective diagnostic tests, forcing reliance on clinical symptoms and exclusion of other diagnoses. An objective biomarker could accelerate diagnosis, reduce patient suffering from delayed recognition, and improve access to appropriate treatment. If validated, a salivary test would be non-invasive and scalable, making it particularly valuable for pediatric populations and underserved communities.
This study does not prove the FBI causes ME/CFS or explain the biological mechanism behind the findings. The modest sample size and case-control design cannot establish whether the biomarker is present before symptom onset or whether it persists after recovery. Findings must be replicated in independent populations before the test can be considered clinically useful.
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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