Kawai, Tomoko, Rokutan, Kazuhito · Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine · 2007
This study looked for genetic markers (differences in how genes are expressed) that could help doctors diagnose ME/CFS with a blood test. The researchers identified 9 genes that were expressed differently in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people, and showed these genes could potentially be used to distinguish ME/CFS from other conditions.
ME/CFS currently lacks objective diagnostic biomarkers, requiring diagnosis through clinical criteria alone. Identifying reproducible gene expression markers could enable faster, more reliable diagnosis and help distinguish ME/CFS from other fatiguing illnesses, improving patient outcomes and research recruitment.
This study does not prove these 9 genes cause ME/CFS or explain the biological mechanisms underlying the disease. The lack of overlap with other gene expression studies raises questions about whether these markers are reproducible across different patient populations and methodologies. The study cannot determine whether these expression changes are disease-specific or might occur in other conditions.
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
Kawai, Tomoko & Rokutan, Kazuhito (2007). [Identification and application of marker genes for differential diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome].. Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17561693/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-kawai-2007-identification-application,
author = {Kawai, Tomoko and Rokutan, Kazuhito},
title = {[Identification and application of marker genes for differential diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome].},
journal = {Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine},
year = {2007},
note = {PubMed: 17561693},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kawai-2007-identification-application},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kawai-2007-identification-application
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.