Mawle, A C · Immunological investigations · 1997 · DOI
This study examined whether ME/CFS might be caused by an infection or involve immune system problems. While researchers didn't find a specific virus or bacteria responsible for the illness, they discovered that when they grouped patients based on whether their symptoms started suddenly or gradually, some differences in immune markers appeared between patients and healthy people.
This research provides important evidence that ME/CFS may not be a single disease entity but rather multiple related conditions with different underlying mechanisms. Identifying that immune differences emerge when patients are subgrouped by onset pattern suggests that future diagnostic and treatment approaches should consider patient heterogeneity, potentially leading to more targeted interventions.
This study does not identify a specific infectious agent causing ME/CFS or definitively prove that immune dysfunction causes the illness. The differences in immunologic markers between subgroups do not establish whether these markers are a cause, consequence, or biomarker of disease, nor do they explain the complete pathophysiology of ME/CFS.
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
Mawle, A C (1997). Chronic fatigue syndrome.. Immunological investigations. https://doi.org/10.3109/08820139709048932
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-mawle-1997-chronic-fatigue,
author = {Mawle, A C},
title = {Chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Immunological investigations},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.3109/08820139709048932},
note = {PubMed: 9037629},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/mawle-1997-chronic-fatigue},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/mawle-1997-chronic-fatigue
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