Nishikai, Masahiko · Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine · 2007
This review examined whether people with ME/CFS have specific antibodies (immune proteins) that attack their own body cells. Researchers found that 15-25% of ME/CFS patients had these antibodies, but the patterns varied widely and were generally weak. A few new antibodies specific to ME/CFS were identified, with one type appearing in 13% of patients studied and linked to severe fatigue and concentration problems.
Identifying disease-specific autoantibodies could help validate ME/CFS as a biological condition with measurable immune markers, potentially improving diagnosis and understanding disease mechanisms. These findings suggest that autoimmune processes may contribute to specific ME/CFS symptoms like severe fatigue and cognitive dysfunction.
This review does not prove that ANA causes ME/CFS or that positive antibodies are necessary for diagnosis—correlation does not equal causation. The lack of confirmation by other research groups for some reported patterns suggests findings require independent validation before clinical application. The study also does not establish whether these antibodies are primary disease drivers or secondary effects of the illness.
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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Primary citation
Nishikai, Masahiko (2007). [Antinuclear antibodies in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].. Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17561698/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-nishikai-2007-antinuclear-antibodies,
author = {Nishikai, Masahiko},
title = {[Antinuclear antibodies in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].},
journal = {Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine},
year = {2007},
note = {PubMed: 17561698},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/nishikai-2007-antinuclear-antibodies},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/nishikai-2007-antinuclear-antibodies
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