Zhang, Jiabao, Tian, Ying, Sun, Guanghan et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2026 · DOI
Researchers compared blood protein markers in 30 people—10 with ME/CFS showing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) 'Liver-Spleen Disharmony' patterns, 10 with 'Qi-Blood Deficiency' patterns, and 10 healthy controls—using advanced protein analysis. They observed different patterns of phosphorylated proteins (chemical modifications on proteins) between the two ME/CFS groups and healthy controls, suggesting that TCM pattern categories may have distinct molecular signatures. However, this is an early exploratory study with a small sample size, and these findings have not yet been replicated.
This study provides preliminary molecular evidence that two distinct Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnostic patterns in ME/CFS patients are associated with different serum phosphoproteomic signatures, potentially supporting the biological basis of pattern differentiation approaches. If validated in larger cohorts, such associations might enable precision-based stratification of ME/CFS patients and inform personalised treatment strategies. However, the clinical utility and relevance of these TCM pattern categories to ME/CFS diagnosis and management in Western clinical settings remain to be established.
This study does not establish causation between phosphoproteomic signatures and ME/CFS symptomatology, nor does it validate TCM pattern classification as a mechanistically accurate diagnostic framework. The small sample size (N=10 per group), single-site cross-sectional design, and absence of independent replication mean findings cannot be generalised beyond this specific cohort. The study does not demonstrate clinical utility of the identified markers, nor does it recommend any treatment based on these observations.
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
Zhang, Jiabao, Tian, Ying, Sun, Guanghan, Kang, Ruixiang, Guo, Dong, & Yin, Yonghui (2026). Phosphoproteomic analysis reveals differential associations between liver-spleen disharmony and qi-blood deficiency syndromes in chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-026-08157-3
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-zhang-2026-phosphoproteomic-analysis,
author = {Zhang, Jiabao and Tian, Ying and Sun, Guanghan and Kang, Ruixiang and Guo, Dong and Yin, Yonghui},
title = {Phosphoproteomic analysis reveals differential associations between liver-spleen disharmony and qi-blood deficiency syndromes in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1186/s12967-026-08157-3},
note = {PubMed: 42129788},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/zhang-2026-phosphoproteomic-analysis},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/zhang-2026-phosphoproteomic-analysis
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