ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2422 studies

1241–1260 of 2,422 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

A role for corticosteroid-binding globulin variants in stress-related disorders.

Marathe, Chinmay S, Torpy, David J·Expert review of endocrinology & metabolism·2012

This review examines how genetic variations in a protein called corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) may influence whether someone develops ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, or chronic pain. CBG helps transport cortisol (the body's stress hormone) in the blood, and when this protein doesn't work properly, it may affect how the body responds to stress. The researchers looked at evidence from genetic studies and animal models suggesting that inherited differences in the CBG gene could increase someone's risk of developing these stress-related conditions.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Effects of a Chinese traditional formula Kai Xin San (KXS) on chronic fatigue syndrome mice induced by forced wheel running.

Cao, Yin, Hu, Yuan, Liu, Ping et al.·Journal of ethnopharmacology·2012

Researchers tested a traditional Chinese herbal formula called Kai Xin San (KXS) on mice that had been made fatigued through forced exercise. Mice treated with KXS showed improvements in physical recovery markers, better immune cell activity, and reduced signs of exhaustion compared to untreated fatigued mice. The results suggest this herbal combination may help reduce fatigue by affecting the body's energy metabolism and immune system.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

The in vivo infusion of hydrogen peroxide induces oxidative stress and differentially affects the activities of small intestinal carbohydrate digestive enzymes in the neonatal pig.

Lackeyram, D, Mine, Y, Widowski, T et al.·Journal of animal science·2012

Researchers gave young pigs either hydrogen peroxide (a substance that causes oxidative stress, similar to cellular damage) or saline over 10 days to study how oxidative stress might affect ME/CFS. Pigs given hydrogen peroxide showed reduced antioxidant levels, less physical activity, and decreased ability to digest certain carbohydrates in their intestines. This suggests that oxidative stress may interfere with how the gut breaks down food, which could contribute to fatigue and other ME/CFS symptoms.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Lack of evidence for a role of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and/or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hong, Ping, Li, Jinming·Virus research·2012

A virus called XMRV was once thought to possibly cause ME/CFS and prostate cancer, but this review found no solid evidence supporting that connection. The authors looked at multiple studies and concluded that most positive findings were likely due to contamination in lab samples, not actual infection. This virus does not appear to play a role in causing ME/CFS.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The role of antipsychotics in the management of fibromyalgia.

Calandre, Elena P, Rico-Villademoros, Fernando·CNS drugs·2012

This review examines whether antipsychotic medications—drugs typically used to treat psychiatric conditions—might also help people with fibromyalgia manage pain, sleep problems, fatigue, and mood disturbances. The authors found that some antipsychotics, particularly quetiapine, have shown promise in small studies and case reports, though most research is preliminary and more rigorous testing is needed.

Pain and SensitizationSleep

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Genetics and Gene Expression Involving Stress and Distress Pathways in Fibromyalgia with and without Comorbid Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Light, Kathleen C, White, Andrea T, Tadler, Scott et al.·Pain research and treatment·2012

This study looked at genes and how they are expressed (turned on or off) in people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers focused on three main biological systems: the stress response system, the hormone system that controls stress, and the serotonin system (which affects mood and pain). They found that certain genes, particularly those controlling stress hormones and pain sensing, may play a role in why some people develop or maintain these conditions.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Peripheral and central mechanisms of fatigue in inflammatory and noninflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Staud, Roland·Current rheumatology reports·2012

Fatigue in rheumatic diseases like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and lupus comes from both physical body problems and mental/central nervous system factors, not just one or the other. Doctors can measure physical fatigue through muscle tests and mental fatigue through questionnaires. Importantly, pain and mood problems are often stronger predictors of fatigue than the disease activity itself, and treatments for both medication and lifestyle changes can help.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Abnormal endogenous pain modulation is a shared characteristic of many chronic pain conditions.

Staud, Roland·Expert review of neurotherapeutics·2012

People with chronic pain often have trouble turning off pain signals in their brain and spinal cord, even when they should. This review explains that many chronic pain conditions—including ME/CFS—share a common problem: their bodies amplify pain signals instead of suppressing them. Tests can measure how well someone's natural pain-blocking system works, and these tests might help predict who will develop chronic pain.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The tale of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus.

Groom, Harriet C T, Bishop, Kate N·The Journal of general virology·2012

In 2009, scientists announced they found a virus called XMRV in many ME/CFS patients, raising hopes for a breakthrough. However, when other researchers tried to repeat these findings, they couldn't find the virus in patient samples. By 2011, it became clear that the original samples were contaminated, meaning the virus had accidentally been introduced during testing rather than being present in patients naturally. This review explains how this scientific discovery turned out to be a false alarm.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Biomarkers of stress and fatigue].

Tanaka, Yoshihide·Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine·2012

This paper reviews different ways to measure stress and fatigue in the body. Instead of just asking patients how stressed they feel, researchers are looking for physical markers—like stress hormones in saliva or hair—that show whether someone is experiencing chronic stress. The authors explain how chronic stress affects the nervous system, hormones, and immune system, and discuss which biological markers might be useful for understanding chronic fatigue syndrome.

BiomarkersImmune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Multiple sources of contamination in samples from patients reported to have XMRV infection.

Kearney, Mary F, Spindler, Jonathan, Wiegand, Ann et al.·PloS one·2012

Researchers tested blood samples from ME/CFS patients that were previously reported to contain a virus called XMRV. Using careful testing methods, they found that the virus-like sequences in patient blood samples were actually contamination from mouse DNA used in lab experiments, not the XMRV virus itself. When they did find actual XMRV virus, it appeared in healthy control samples and came from cross-contamination in the lab rather than from patient infections.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Evidence and controversies on the role of XMRV in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Menéndez-Arias, Luis·Reviews in medical virology·2011

Researchers discovered a virus called XMRV in some people with prostate cancer and ME/CFS, which generated significant interest. However, other studies have not been able to confirm this finding, leaving uncertainty about whether XMRV actually causes disease in humans. This review examines what we know and don't know about XMRV's role in these conditions.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

PCR master mixes harbour murine DNA sequences. Caveat emptor!

Tuke, Philip W, Tettmar, Kate I, Tamuri, Asif et al.·PloS one·2011

This study found that the laboratory chemicals used to detect viruses in blood samples may themselves contain mouse virus DNA, which can contaminate test results. When researchers tested water samples (with no actual virus present) using common laboratory kits, they still found mouse virus sequences—the same sequences that had been previously reported in ME/CFS patients. This suggests that previous findings of these viruses in ME/CFS patients may have been false positives caused by contaminated testing materials rather than actual infections.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Kynurenine pathway Hypothesis: The nature of the chronic Fatigue syndrome (cFs) Revisited.

Blankfield, Adele·International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR·2011

This study examines a theory that ME/CFS might be related to problems with how the body processes an amino acid called tryptophan. The body normally breaks down tryptophan through a pathway called the kynurenine pathway, and the researchers suggest that abnormalities in this process could contribute to the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The sick building syndrome as a part of the autoimmune (auto-inflammatory) syndrome induced by adjuvants.

Israeli, Eitan, Pardo, Asher·Modern rheumatology·2011

This review paper proposes that sick building syndrome—a collection of unexplained symptoms people develop from spending time in certain buildings—may be part of a larger group of related conditions. The authors suggest that sick building syndrome shares many symptoms with other post-exposure illnesses like Gulf War syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome, and may all stem from similar immune system problems triggered by specific substances.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Structural integration, an alternative method of manual therapy and sensorimotor education.

Jacobson, Eric·Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.)·2011

Structural Integration (SI) is a hands-on therapy that focuses on improving how your body moves and holds itself, rather than treating specific symptoms. This review looked at what we know about how SI might work—such as making muscles and connective tissues more flexible and improving how your nervous system processes movement and stress—and found that small studies have reported improvements in pain, movement, balance, and well-being in some conditions including chronic fatigue.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Treatment of central sensitization in patients with 'unexplained' chronic pain: what options do we have?

Nijs, Jo, Meeus, Mira, Van Oosterwijck, Jessica et al.·Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy·2011

This review examines how the nervous system can become overly sensitive to pain signals, a condition called central sensitization that occurs in many chronic pain disorders including ME/CFS. The authors summarize different treatment approaches—including medications, physical therapy, brain stimulation, and stress management—that may help calm down an overactive pain processing system in the brain and spinal cord.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

Will vitamin D supplementation ameliorate diseases characterized by chronic inflammation and fatigue?

Hoeck, Anna Dorothea, Pall, Martin L·Medical hypotheses·2011

This paper proposes that low vitamin D levels may contribute to ME/CFS by allowing harmful inflammatory processes to continue unchecked in the body. Vitamin D normally acts as a brake on inflammation, but only when levels are adequate. The authors suggest that fixing vitamin D deficiency through supplementation might help reduce fatigue and inflammation in ME/CFS, though they acknowledge this theory needs to be tested in actual clinical trials.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Fatigue and chronic fatigue in the elderly: definitions, diagnoses, and treatments.

Morelli, Vincent·Clinics in geriatric medicine·2011

This review article helps doctors understand fatigue in older adults by explaining three types: fatigue that comes on recently, fatigue that lasts a long time, and chronic fatigue syndrome. The article discusses how doctors can evaluate fatigue and offers both medication and non-medication treatments like exercise, vitamins, diet changes, and behavioral strategies.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Regulatory T-cells: modern approaches to optimization of their numbers].

Pukhal'skiĭ, A L, Shmarina, G V, Aleshkin, V A·Vestnik Rossiiskoi akademii meditsinskikh nauk·2011

Your body has special immune cells called regulatory T-cells (Tregs) that normally help control inflammation and keep your immune system balanced. This article explains how long-term stress and aging can disrupt this balance—either causing too many Tregs to build up or too few to develop properly. The authors suggest that when Tregs become imbalanced, it may contribute to conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, while also affecting allergy and cancer risk.

Immune System

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A role for corticosteroid-binding globulin variants in stress-related disorders.

Effects of a Chinese traditional formula Kai Xin San (KXS) on chronic fatigue syndrome mice induced by forced wheel running.

The in vivo infusion of hydrogen peroxide induces oxidative stress and differentially affects the activities of small intestinal carbohydrate digestive enzymes in the neonatal pig.

Lack of evidence for a role of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and/or chronic fatigue syndrome.

The role of antipsychotics in the management of fibromyalgia.

Genetics and Gene Expression Involving Stress and Distress Pathways in Fibromyalgia with and without Comorbid Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Peripheral and central mechanisms of fatigue in inflammatory and noninflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Abnormal endogenous pain modulation is a shared characteristic of many chronic pain conditions.

The tale of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus.

[Biomarkers of stress and fatigue].

Multiple sources of contamination in samples from patients reported to have XMRV infection.

Evidence and controversies on the role of XMRV in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome.

PCR master mixes harbour murine DNA sequences. Caveat emptor!

Kynurenine pathway Hypothesis: The nature of the chronic Fatigue syndrome (cFs) Revisited.

The sick building syndrome as a part of the autoimmune (auto-inflammatory) syndrome induced by adjuvants.

Structural integration, an alternative method of manual therapy and sensorimotor education.

Treatment of central sensitization in patients with 'unexplained' chronic pain: what options do we have?

Will vitamin D supplementation ameliorate diseases characterized by chronic inflammation and fatigue?

Fatigue and chronic fatigue in the elderly: definitions, diagnoses, and treatments.

[Regulatory T-cells: modern approaches to optimization of their numbers].

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Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

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