Evidence browser

[Investigation of the diagnostic value of anti-dense fine speckled 70/lens epithelium derived growth factor p75 autoantibody for autoimmune diseases].

Türkoğlu, Gamze, Berkem, Rukiye, Karakoç, Ayşe Esra·Mikrobiyoloji bulteni·2018

This study looked at a specific type of autoantibody (immune protein) called anti-DFS70 that can appear in blood tests. Researchers tested patient samples to see how often this antibody was present and whether it could help doctors diagnose autoimmune diseases. They found that this antibody sometimes appears in patients with chronic conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, but it's not a reliable marker for typical autoimmune diseases.

E2 ModeratePEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

Improvement in mood, oxidative stress, fatigue, and insomnia following supplementary management with Robuvit®.

Belcaro, Gianni, Saggino, Aristide, Cornelli, Umberto et al.·Journal of neurosurgical sciences·2018

This study tested whether a supplement made from French oak wood called Robuvit® could help people with ME/CFS who experience fatigue, sleep problems, mood difficulties, and high levels of oxidative stress (cellular damage). Eighteen patients took 300 mg of Robuvit® daily for 8 weeks, while 22 others received standard care. The Robuvit® group showed significant improvements in mood, fatigue, sleep, and oxidative stress levels, with no safety concerns reported.

Sleep

E2 ModeratePEM not requiredRegistry-Resource

Supplementation with Robuvit® in subjects with burnout associated to high oxidative stress.

Belcaro, Gianni, Hosoi, Morio, Feragalli, Beatrice et al.·Minerva medica·2018

This study tested whether a supplement called Robuvit® (made from French oak wood) could help people with burnout syndrome who experience severe fatigue and high oxidative stress (a type of cellular damage). Over 4 weeks, people taking Robuvit® showed improvements in emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and stress levels compared to those receiving standard treatment alone. The supplement also reduced markers of oxidative stress in the blood.

E2 ModerateTrialPEM unclearRCT

Integrated Analysis of Gene Expression Differences in Twins Discordant for Disease and Binary Phenotypes.

Tangirala, Sivateja, Patel, Chirag J·Scientific reports·2018

Researchers compared gene activity in identical twins where one twin had ME/CFS and the other didn't, along with studying six other conditions. They wanted to understand how environment (rather than genes) influences disease by looking at which genes were turned on or off differently between affected and unaffected twins. The study found that while different diseases may share some similar changes in gene activity, each condition has its own unique pattern of gene changes.

Hair and salivary cortisol in a cohort of women with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Roerink, Megan E, Roerink, Sean H P P, Skoluda, Nadine et al.·Hormones and behavior·2018

This study measured cortisol (a stress hormone) in hair and saliva samples from women with ME/CFS and compared them to healthy women. The ME/CFS patients showed lower cortisol levels, particularly a weaker morning cortisol rise. When some patients took a medication called anakinra (which reduces inflammation), their cortisol levels changed differently than in patients taking placebo, suggesting a link between the immune system and hormonal stress response in ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Rethinking childhood adversity in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clark, James E, Davidson, Sean L, Maclachlan, Laura et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2018

This study looked at whether difficult childhood experiences are more common in people with ME/CFS. The researchers carefully separated people with ME/CFS who had never had depression from those who had. They found that childhood trauma was not actually more common in ME/CFS patients without depression compared to healthy people, suggesting previous studies may have been confused by patients who also had depression.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Physiological measures in participants with chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis and healthy controls following repeated exercise: a pilot study.

Hodges, L D, Nielsen, T, Baken, D·Clinical physiology and functional imaging·2018

This study compared how the bodies of people with ME/CFS, people with multiple sclerosis, and healthy people responded to exercise on two days in a row. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS got noticeably weaker on the second day of exercise, using less power while their bodies worked harder (higher oxygen use), which is different from how healthy people responded. This suggests that repeated exercise affects ME/CFS and MS differently, and these exercise tests might help doctors tell these conditions apart.

Post-Exertional Malaise

Longitudinal associations of lymphocyte subsets with clinical outcomes in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Mehalick, Melissa L, Schmaling, Karen B, Sabath, Daniel E et al.·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2018

This study looked at how different types of immune cells (called lymphocytes) change over 18 months in people with ME/CFS and whether these changes connected to symptom severity and physical ability. Researchers tracked three types of immune cells in 93 ME/CFS patients and measured their fatigue, physical functioning, and energy levels over time. They found that certain immune cell patterns were linked to worse physical function and more symptoms, suggesting the immune system may play a role in ME/CFS severity.

Pitfalls in cytokine measurements - Plasma TGF-β1 in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Roerink, M E, van der Schaaf, M E, Hawinkels, L J A C et al.·The Netherlands journal of medicine·2018

This study measured a protein called TGF-β1 in the blood of ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. Previous research suggested this protein was elevated in ME/CFS, but the researchers found that how blood samples are processed in the lab—specifically how fast they spin them—dramatically affects the results. When they carefully controlled this process, they found no actual difference in TGF-β1 levels between patients and healthy controls.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

Incidence of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue following GI infection: a population-level study using routinely collected claims data.

Donnachie, Ewan, Schneider, Antonius, Mehring, Michael et al.·Gut·2018

This study looked at medical records from nearly one million people in Germany to see if stomach and intestinal infections could lead to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Researchers found that people who had a GI infection were 2-4 times more likely to develop IBS and 1.4-1.8 times more likely to develop CFS compared to people who hadn't had such infections. The study also found that having anxiety, depression, or stress before the infection increased the risk even more.

Cardiovascular characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Bozzini, Sara, Albergati, Andrea, Capelli, Enrica et al.·Biomedical reports·2018

This study looked at heart and blood pressure problems in people with ME/CFS. Researchers found that patients with ME/CFS tend to have lower blood pressure than expected, which may explain some common symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Most other heart measurements were similar between people with and without ME/CFS.

Autonomic Nervous System

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Latent class analysis of a heterogeneous international sample of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Huber, Kayla A, Sunnquist, Madison, Jason, Leonard A·Fatigue : biomedicine, health & behavior·2018

This study looked at 1,210 ME/CFS patients to see if there are different types or subtypes of the illness based on their symptoms. Researchers found six distinct groups of patients, each experiencing different combinations of symptoms like heart and blood pressure problems, dizziness when standing, and digestive issues. Importantly, patients in different groups had very different abilities to function in daily life, suggesting that tailored treatment approaches might work better than one-size-fits-all care.

Autonomic Nervous System

Reciprocal associations between daily need-based experiences, energy, and sleep in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Campbell, Rachel, Vansteenkiste, Maarten, Delesie, Liesbeth et al.·Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association·2018

This study tracked 120 ME/CFS patients for 14 days to understand how their daily psychological needs, energy levels, and sleep quality relate to each other. Researchers found that on days when patients felt their needs were met (feeling in control, capable, and connected to others), they had more energy and better sleep. On days when patients felt frustrated in meeting these needs, they experienced more fatigue and worse sleep quality.

Sleep

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Effects of unsupportive social interactions, stigma, and symptoms on patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

McManimen, Stephanie L, McClellan, Damani, Stoothoff, Jamie et al.·Journal of community psychology·2018

This study looked at why some ME/CFS patients experience suicidal thoughts and depression. Researchers found that patients who felt blamed for their illness, had their symptoms minimized by others, or felt socially rejected were more likely to experience both depression and suicidal thoughts. Importantly, some patients had suicidal thoughts without meeting the criteria for clinical depression, suggesting that stigma and unsupported social interactions alone can be harmful.

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM requiredMethods-Paper

Decreased Connectivity and Increased Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent Complexity in the Default Mode Network in Individuals with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Shan, Zack Y, Finegan, Kevin, Bhuta, Sandeep et al.·Brain connectivity·2018

This study used brain imaging to look at how a specific network in the brain (called the default mode network) works differently in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Researchers found that in ME/CFS patients, this brain network shows more chaotic activity and weaker communication between different regions. These differences might one day help doctors diagnose ME/CFS using brain scans.

A Brief Questionnaire to Assess Post-Exertional Malaise.

Cotler, Joseph, Holtzman, Carly, Dudun, Catherine et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2018

This study focused on creating a better way to identify post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the worsening of symptoms that happens after physical or mental activity in ME/CFS patients. Researchers tested whether five additional questions from an existing questionnaire could help doctors confirm PEM in the second step of diagnosis. The test was successful: it correctly identified patients with ME/CFS 82% of the time and rarely misidentified other conditions like multiple sclerosis as ME/CFS.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Rheumatism and chronic fatigue, the two facets of post-chikungunya disease: the TELECHIK cohort study on Reunion island.

Duvignaud, A, Fianu, A, Bertolotti, A et al.·Epidemiology and infection·2018

This study followed over 1,000 people on Reunion Island to understand why some patients infected with chikungunya virus develop long-lasting fatigue and joint pain. Researchers found that people who had chikungunya were much more likely to experience chronic fatigue and a condition resembling ME/CFS compared to those who were never infected. About 24% of people with chikungunya developed CFS-like illness, compared to only 7% of those without the virus.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Higher Prevalence of "Low T3 Syndrome" in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case-Control Study.

Ruiz-Núñez, Begoña, Tarasse, Rabab, Vogelaar, Emar F et al.·Frontiers in endocrinology·2018

This study compared thyroid hormone levels in 98 ME/CFS patients with 99 healthy controls and found that ME/CFS patients were more than twice as likely to have low levels of an active thyroid hormone called T3. The patients also showed signs of chronic low-grade inflammation and had more reverse T3 (an inactive form), which may explain why their bodies aren't producing or using thyroid hormones efficiently.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Operationalizing Substantial Reduction in Functioning Among Young Adults with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Gleason, Kristen D, Stoothoff, Jamie, McClellan, Damani et al.·International journal of behavioral medicine·2018

This study looked for the best way to measure the 'substantial reduction in functioning' that is required for ME/CFS diagnosis. Researchers used a standard health survey (SF-36) with young adults (ages 18-29) who had ME/CFS and compared them to people without the condition. They found that specific cutoff scores on four areas of the survey—physical functioning, general health, role physical (ability to work), and social functioning—could accurately identify who has ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

Evaluation of four clinical laboratory parameters for the diagnosis of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

De Meirleir, Kenny L, Mijatovic, Tatjana, Subramanian, Krishnamurthy et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2018

Researchers tested four substances in the blood of 140 ME/CFS patients and 140 healthy people to see if they could help diagnose the disease. They found that three specific markers—sCD14, prostaglandin E2, and interleukin 8—were most useful for identifying ME/CFS. These findings suggest that a simple blood test might one day help doctors confirm ME/CFS diagnosis more quickly and objectively.