Suhadolnik, R J, Peterson, D L, O'Brien, K et al. · Journal of interferon & cytokine research : the official journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research · 1997 · DOI
This study examined a specific immune system protein called RNase L in people with ME/CFS. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had unusual forms of this protein that were different sizes and worked differently than those in healthy people, suggesting their antiviral defense system may be malfunctioning in a previously unknown way.
This study provides biochemical evidence that ME/CFS involves abnormalities in a key antiviral defense mechanism, offering a potential molecular explanation for viral-like symptoms and immune dysregulation. Understanding this pathway dysfunction could eventually lead to biomarkers for diagnosis or therapeutic targets for treatment.
This study does not prove that RNase L dysfunction causes ME/CFS, only that an association exists. It also does not establish whether the abnormal RNase L forms are pathogenic or compensatory responses to other primary dysfunction. The cross-sectional design prevents determination of whether these changes are primary disease drivers or secondary consequences.
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
Suhadolnik, R J, Peterson, D L, O'Brien, K, Cheney, P R, Herst, C V, Reichenbach, N L, et al. (1997). Biochemical evidence for a novel low molecular weight 2-5A-dependent RNase L in chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of interferon & cytokine research : the official journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research. https://doi.org/10.1089/jir.1997.17.377
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-suhadolnik-1997-biochemical-evidence,
author = {Suhadolnik, R J and Peterson, D L and O'Brien, K and Cheney, P R and Herst, C V and Reichenbach, N L and Kon, N and Horvath, S E and Iacono, K T and Adelson, M E and De Meirleir, K and De Becker, P and Charubala, R and Pfleiderer, W},
title = {Biochemical evidence for a novel low molecular weight 2-5A-dependent RNase L in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of interferon & cytokine research : the official journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1089/jir.1997.17.377},
note = {PubMed: 9243369},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/suhadolnik-1997-biochemical-evidence},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/suhadolnik-1997-biochemical-evidence
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