Roerink, Megan E, Knoop, Hans, Bronkhorst, Ewald M et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2017 · DOI
Researchers compared immune signaling molecules (cytokines) in the blood of 50 women with ME/CFS to 48 healthy women and found two markers were elevated in the ME/CFS group: IL-12p40 and CSF-1. They also tested whether a drug called anakinra (which blocks inflammation) could help reduce these markers, but found it did not significantly change cytokine levels after 4 weeks of treatment.
This study identifies specific immune signaling molecules that may help distinguish ME/CFS patients from healthy individuals, potentially supporting better diagnostic approaches. The finding that anakinra did not improve the cytokine profile, despite targeting a plausible inflammatory pathway, refines understanding of which immune interventions may or may not be effective in ME/CFS.
This study does not prove that IL-12p40 and CSF-1 elevation *causes* ME/CFS symptoms—they may be markers of the condition rather than drivers of it. It also does not rule out that longer treatment duration or higher doses of anakinra might have different effects, nor does it determine whether these cytokines correlate with symptom severity or clinical response. The small sample size and female-only cohort limit generalizability.
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
Roerink, Megan E, Knoop, Hans, Bronkhorst, Ewald M, Mouthaan, Henk A, Hawinkels, Luuk J A C, Joosten, Leo A B, et al. (2017). Cytokine signatures in chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a Case Control Study and the effect of anakinra treatment.. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-017-1371-9
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-roerink-2017-cytokine-signatures,
author = {Roerink, Megan E and Knoop, Hans and Bronkhorst, Ewald M and Mouthaan, Henk A and Hawinkels, Luuk J A C and Joosten, Leo A B and van der Meer, Jos W M},
title = {Cytokine signatures in chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a Case Control Study and the effect of anakinra treatment.},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1186/s12967-017-1371-9},
note = {PubMed: 29284500},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/roerink-2017-cytokine-signatures},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/roerink-2017-cytokine-signatures
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