Maher, K J, Klimas, N G, Fletcher, M A · Clinical and experimental immunology · 2005 · DOI
This study found that people with ME/CFS have lower levels of a protein called perforin in their immune cells, particularly in natural killer cells. Perforin is a weapon that immune cells use to fight off infections and abnormal cells. The researchers suggest this deficiency might help explain why people with ME/CFS often have weakened immune function.
This research provides the first molecular-level explanation for why NK cell function is impaired in ME/CFS, moving beyond simply observing the defect to understanding its mechanism. Identifying perforin deficiency as a potential biomarker could help with diagnosis and monitoring disease progression, and understanding this mechanism may open new avenues for targeted treatments.
This study does not prove that low perforin causes ME/CFS—it only shows an association. It does not establish whether perforin deficiency is a primary driver of the disease, a consequence of illness, or a secondary effect of other immune abnormalities. The study also does not demonstrate that correcting perforin levels would improve 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 →
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