Jinushi, Ryuhei, Masuda, Sakue, Tanisaka, Yuki et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2023 · DOI
This review combined results from seven studies comparing a chemical in the blood called acylcarnitine between people with ME/CFS and healthy people. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS have significantly lower levels of this chemical. These lower levels might one day help doctors diagnose ME/CFS, though more research is needed before it can be used as a reliable test.
ME/CFS currently lacks a definitive diagnostic test, forcing doctors to rely solely on clinical symptoms, which delays diagnosis and causes frustration for patients. This review provides evidence that a simple blood test measuring acylcarnitine could potentially help confirm ME/CFS alongside clinical evaluation, bringing the field closer to objective diagnostic tools. For researchers, this finding highlights a consistent biological marker that warrants further investigation into the metabolic dysfunction underlying ME/CFS.
This study does not establish that acylcarnitine testing alone can diagnose ME/CFS or that it should replace clinical criteria. It also does not determine whether low acylcarnitine causes ME/CFS symptoms or simply occurs alongside the disease. The high heterogeneity between studies suggests that factors like patient populations, disease severity, or measurement methods may significantly affect results, limiting how broadly these findings apply.
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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