Tomoda, Akemi, Joudoi, Takako, Rabab, El-Mezayen et al. · Psychiatry research · 2005 · DOI
This study examined immune system chemicals called cytokines in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy volunteers. Researchers took blood cells from both groups and stimulated them in the laboratory to see how they would respond. They found that ME/CFS patients produced lower levels of certain immune chemicals, particularly one called TGF-beta1, which might play a role in the inflammation seen in ME/CFS.
Understanding immune system dysfunction in ME/CFS is crucial for developing effective treatments. This study provides evidence that cytokine imbalances are measurable biological abnormalities in ME/CFS, strengthening the case that the illness has a biological basis rather than a purely psychological one. The identification of TGF-beta1 as potentially therapeutic opens a new avenue for future drug development.
This study does not prove that low TGF-beta1 causes ME/CFS, only that it is associated with the condition. Laboratory findings from stimulated blood cells may not reflect what actually happens in patients' bodies during daily life. Additionally, the small sample size means these findings need replication in larger, more diverse populations before drawing firm conclusions about treatment approaches.
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
Tomoda, Akemi, Joudoi, Takako, Rabab, El-Mezayen, Matsumoto, Tomoaki, Park, T H, & Miike, Teruhisa (2005). Cytokine production and modulation: comparison of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and normal controls.. Psychiatry research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2005.01.002
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-tomoda-2005-cytokine-production,
author = {Tomoda, Akemi and Joudoi, Takako and Rabab, El-Mezayen and Matsumoto, Tomoaki and Park, T H and Miike, Teruhisa},
title = {Cytokine production and modulation: comparison of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and normal controls.},
journal = {Psychiatry research},
year = {2005},
doi = {10.1016/j.psychres.2005.01.002},
note = {PubMed: 15808295},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/tomoda-2005-cytokine-production},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/tomoda-2005-cytokine-production
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