Xu, Jiabao, Lodge, Tiffany, Kingdon, Caroline et al. · Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2023 · DOI
Researchers used a new technology called Raman spectroscopy combined with artificial intelligence to analyze blood cells from ME/CFS patients and healthy people. The test was able to correctly identify ME/CFS patients about 91% of the time and could even distinguish between mild, moderate, and severe cases with 84% accuracy. This could eventually help doctors diagnose ME/CFS with a simple blood test instead of relying only on patient symptoms.
ME/CFS lacks objective diagnostic biomarkers, forcing many patients to pursue years of testing before diagnosis. A validated blood-based test could reduce diagnostic delays, improve clinical management, and enable better patient stratification for research and treatment trials. The methodology may also be applicable to other unexplained post-infectious conditions like long COVID.
This study does not establish causation—it identifies correlations between blood cell spectral profiles and ME/CFS status. The cross-sectional design cannot determine whether observed cellular changes cause ME/CFS or result from it. The findings require independent validation in larger, prospectively-designed studies before this test can be used clinically.
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
Xu, Jiabao, Lodge, Tiffany, Kingdon, Caroline, Strong, James W L, Maclennan, John, Lacerda, Eliana, et al. (2023). Developing a Blood Cell-Based Diagnostic Test for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Using Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.. Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany). https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202302146
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-xu-2023-developing-blood,
author = {Xu, Jiabao and Lodge, Tiffany and Kingdon, Caroline and Strong, James W L and Maclennan, John and Lacerda, Eliana and Kujawski, Slawomir and Zalewski, Pawel and Huang, Wei E and Morten, Karl J},
title = {Developing a Blood Cell-Based Diagnostic Test for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Using Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.},
journal = {Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1002/advs.202302146},
note = {PubMed: 37653608},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/xu-2023-developing-blood},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-27. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/xu-2023-developing-blood
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