Meeus, Mira, Nijs, Jo, McGregor, Neil et al. · In vivo (Athens, Greece) · 2008
This study looked at three immune system proteins in people with ME/CFS to see if they were connected to each other and to patients' ability to do daily activities. Researchers found that these three proteins (RNase L, PKR, and elastase) were all linked together, and that higher levels of two of them (RNase L and elastase) were associated with greater difficulty doing everyday tasks. This suggests these immune abnormalities may play a real role in ME/CFS symptoms.
This study provides evidence that specific immune dysfunction markers correlate with functional impairment in ME/CFS, suggesting these abnormalities are not merely bystanders but may actively contribute to patient disability. Identifying these molecular mechanisms could lead to targeted treatments aimed at normalizing immune function and improving daily functioning.
This study does not establish causation—correlation alone cannot prove that RNase L or elastase activity directly causes functional decline, only that they co-occur. The small sample size and absence of healthy controls limits generalizability and the ability to determine if these patterns are specific to ME/CFS. Cross-sectional design prevents determining whether immune changes precede, accompany, or follow symptom development.
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
Meeus, Mira, Nijs, Jo, McGregor, Neil, Meeusen, Romain, De Schutter, Guy, Truijen, Steven, et al. (2008). Unravelling intracellular immune dysfunctions in chronic fatigue syndrome: interactions between protein kinase R activity, RNase L cleavage and elastase activity, and their clinical relevance.. In vivo (Athens, Greece). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18396793/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-meeus-2008-unravelling-intracellular,
author = {Meeus, Mira and Nijs, Jo and McGregor, Neil and Meeusen, Romain and De Schutter, Guy and Truijen, Steven and Frémont, Marc and Van Hoof, Elke and De Meirleir, Kenny},
title = {Unravelling intracellular immune dysfunctions in chronic fatigue syndrome: interactions between protein kinase R activity, RNase L cleavage and elastase activity, and their clinical relevance.},
journal = {In vivo (Athens, Greece)},
year = {2008},
note = {PubMed: 18396793},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/meeus-2008-unravelling-intracellular},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/meeus-2008-unravelling-intracellular
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