Saiki, Takuya, Kawai, Tomoko, Morita, Kyoko et al. · Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2008 · DOI
This study looked at blood samples from ME/CFS patients and compared the activity of genes between patients and healthy people. Researchers found 9 genes that showed different activity patterns in ME/CFS patients—genes involved in energy production, immune cell function, and protein breakdown. These 9 genes were able to correctly identify ME/CFS patients about 94% of the time, suggesting they could potentially be useful as a biological test to diagnose the condition.
ME/CFS currently lacks objective biomarkers for diagnosis, relying instead on clinical criteria. If validated in larger, independent populations, a gene expression signature could enable objective diagnostic testing and help distinguish ME/CFS from other fatigue-causing conditions. Understanding which biological pathways are altered—particularly energy metabolism and immune function—provides direction for investigating disease mechanisms.
This study does not establish that these gene expression changes cause ME/CFS or explain the underlying biological mechanisms. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether altered gene expression precedes symptom onset, develops as a consequence of illness, or represents a secondary effect. The modest sample sizes also mean results require validation in larger, geographically diverse, independent cohorts before clinical utility can be confirmed.
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
Saiki, Takuya, Kawai, Tomoko, Morita, Kyoko, Ohta, Masayuki, Saito, Toshiro, Rokutan, Kazuhito, et al. (2008). Identification of marker genes for differential diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.. Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.). https://doi.org/10.2119/2007-00059.Saiki
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-saiki-2008-identification-marker,
author = {Saiki, Takuya and Kawai, Tomoko and Morita, Kyoko and Ohta, Masayuki and Saito, Toshiro and Rokutan, Kazuhito and Ban, Nobutaro},
title = {Identification of marker genes for differential diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Molecular medicine (Cambridge, Mass.)},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.2119/2007-00059.Saiki},
note = {PubMed: 18596870},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/saiki-2008-identification-marker},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/saiki-2008-identification-marker
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