Kennedy, G, Spence, V, Underwood, C et al. · Journal of clinical pathology · 2004 · DOI
This study found that people with ME/CFS have more dying white blood cells (neutrophils) and fewer healthy ones compared to people without the condition. The researchers also discovered that ME/CFS patients have higher levels of a chemical called TGF-beta1 that can trigger cell death. These findings suggest that ME/CFS involves measurable problems with the immune system that can be detected in a blood test.
This research provides objective biological evidence that ME/CFS involves measurable immune system dysfunction, countering skepticism that the condition is purely psychological. Identifying specific immune abnormalities opens pathways for developing diagnostic tests and targeted treatments. These findings strengthen the scientific foundation for recognizing ME/CFS as a biomedical illness.
This study does not prove that neutrophil apoptosis causes ME/CFS symptoms, only that the association exists. It cannot establish whether the immune changes are primary drivers of disease or secondary responses to infection or other factors. The relatively small sample size and single-timepoint design limit whether these findings apply to all ME/CFS patients or remain stable over time.
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
Kennedy, G, Spence, V, Underwood, C, & Belch, J J F (2004). Increased neutrophil apoptosis in chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of clinical pathology. https://doi.org/10.1136/jcp.2003.015511
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-kennedy-2004-increased-neutrophil,
author = {Kennedy, G and Spence, V and Underwood, C and Belch, J J F},
title = {Increased neutrophil apoptosis in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of clinical pathology},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1136/jcp.2003.015511},
note = {PubMed: 15280416},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kennedy-2004-increased-neutrophil},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/kennedy-2004-increased-neutrophil
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