Polli, Andrea, Hendrix, Jolien, Wyns, Arne et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2026 · DOI
Researchers compared blood cell DNA methylation (a chemical tag that regulates gene activity) in 71 people with ME/CFS, 44 with fibromyalgia, and 73 healthy controls. They found two distinct methylation patterns: one associated mainly with post-exertional malaise and cognitive symptoms in ME/CFS, and another associated with broader pain and sleep symptoms in both patient groups. This is one study in early-stage research; the findings have not yet been replicated in independent groups, and it remains unclear whether these methylation patterns could be used clinically to diagnose or monitor these conditions.
By analogy, this work may advance understanding of biological differences between ME/CFS and fibromyalgia at the molecular level, and suggests that distinct methylation patterns could associate with ME/CFS-specific symptoms such as post-exertional malaise and cognitive impairment. If replicated, such biomarkers might eventually support differential diagnosis; however, the relevance to ME/CFS diagnosis or prognosis remains to be demonstrated in independent cohorts.
This cross-sectional design does not establish causation or determine whether methylation changes are a cause or consequence of disease. The study does not confirm any mechanistic pathway or propose a treatment. Findings are not generalised beyond this cohort of 188 women and require independent replication before any clinical utility claim can be made. No causal interpretation should be drawn from association data.
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
Polli, Andrea, Hendrix, Jolien, Wyns, Arne, Van Campenhout, Jente, Allard, Sabine, Aerts, Joeri L, et al. (2026). Epigenome-wide profiling identifies distinct DNA methylation architecture underlying ME/CFS and fibromyalgia symptom burden.. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-026-08824-5
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-polli-2026-epigenome-wide,
author = {Polli, Andrea and Hendrix, Jolien and Wyns, Arne and Van Campenhout, Jente and Allard, Sabine and Aerts, Joeri L and Laeremans, Thessa and Xiong, Huanyu and Buntinx, Yanthe and Michiels, Joni and Ben Amar, Jinane and Godderis, Lode and Thienpont, Bernard and Nijs, Jo},
title = {Epigenome-wide profiling identifies distinct DNA methylation architecture underlying ME/CFS and fibromyalgia symptom burden.},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1186/s12967-026-08824-5},
note = {PubMed: 42811334},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/polli-2026-epigenome-wide},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-09-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/polli-2026-epigenome-wide
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