Evidence browser

[Understanding chronic fatigue syndrome].

Rivera Redondo, Javier·Reumatologia clinica·2010

This article provides an overview of chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), explaining what the condition is and how it affects patients. The author discusses the main features of ME/CFS, including persistent exhaustion that doesn't improve with rest and other symptoms that can develop after infection or stress. The goal is to help readers understand this complex illness better.

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia: a status report in 2010.

Natelson, Benjamin H·MD advisor : a journal for New Jersey medical community·2010

This 2010 report by Dr. Benjamin Natelson reviews the current understanding of ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, two conditions that cause persistent fatigue and pain. The report summarizes what doctors and researchers knew at that time about how these conditions develop, how they affect the body, and how they are treated. It provides an overview of the scientific evidence available in 2010 to help explain why people with these conditions experience their symptoms.

Biomarkers

Activity in the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenocortical system on experimental induction of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Fomicheva, E E, Filatenkova, T A, Rybakina, E G·Neuroscience and behavioral physiology·2010

This study used an experimental model to investigate how ME/CFS might affect the body's stress response system. Researchers gave animals a substance that mimics a viral infection to trigger CFS-like symptoms, then tested how well their stress hormone system worked. They found that the stress response system became impaired, with reduced ability to produce and respond to key stress hormones.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Frequency and content analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome in medical text books.

Jason, Leonard A, Paavola, Erin, Porter, Nicole et al.·Australian journal of primary health·2010

This study looked at how much information about ME/CFS appears in medical textbooks that doctors and medical students use for training. Researchers found that while about 4 out of 10 textbooks mentioned ME/CFS at all, the information took up less than 0.1% of the total pages. Compared to other diseases like multiple sclerosis that are actually rarer, ME/CFS received much less coverage in these important educational materials.

Biology and pathophysiology of the new human retrovirus XMRV and its association with human disease.

Rusmevichientong, Alice, Chow, Samson A·Immunologic research·2010

Scientists discovered a new virus called XMRV and found it in some people with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This review article summarizes what was known about this virus at the time, how it might work in the body, and what still needs to be studied to understand whether XMRV actually causes disease in humans.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[The HPA axis in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Ursini, F, Succurro, E, Grembiale, A et al.·La Clinica terapeutica·2010

This review examines whether problems with the HPA axis—a system in your brain and body that manages stress and energy—might explain ME/CFS symptoms. The HPA axis controls cortisol and other hormones that help your body respond to stress and maintain energy levels. This article summarizes what scientists have found so far about whether HPA axis dysfunction could be a key cause of ME/CFS.

Endocrine Disruption

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

Short QT interval in clinical practice.

Bjerregaard, Preben, Nallapaneni, Hari, Gussak, Ihor·Journal of electrocardiology·2010

This review article discusses a heart rhythm pattern called a 'short QT interval' that doctors can see on heart electrical recordings (EKGs). The authors note that while this pattern is rare, it can sometimes be dangerous and increase the risk of sudden cardiac death. They found that short QT intervals have been reported in patients with ME/CFS, along with several other medical conditions, though we still don't fully understand what it means or how to best manage patients who have it.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Protective effect of epigallocatechin gallate in murine water-immersion stress model of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sachdeva, Anand Kamal, Kuhad, Anurag, Tiwari, Vinod et al.·Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology·2010

This study tested whether a compound from green tea called EGCG could help reduce fatigue in mice exposed to stress. Researchers induced fatigue-like symptoms in mice through daily forced swimming, then gave some mice EGCG supplements. The treatment appeared to reduce the mice's fatigue and also lowered harmful inflammation markers in their brains.

The Hebrew version of the FibroFatigue scale: validation of a questionnaire for assessment of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Ablin, Jacob N, Odes, Lisa, Neumann, Lily et al.·Rheumatology international·2010

This study tested whether a Hebrew-language questionnaire called the FibroFatigue Scale (FFS) accurately measures symptoms in fibromyalgia patients. Researchers gave 100 patients with fibromyalgia this questionnaire along with other standard symptom-measuring tools, and found that the FFS reliably detected and measured how severe their symptoms were.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Making the diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalitis in primary care: a qualitative study.

Chew-Graham, Carolyn, Dowrick, Christopher, Wearden, Alison et al.·BMC family practice·2010

This study asked 22 general practitioners (GPs) about their experiences diagnosing ME/CFS in their clinics. GPs said they find it hard to understand what ME/CFS is, and they typically focus on ruling out other diseases rather than confidently saying a patient has ME/CFS. Many GPs worried that giving someone an ME/CFS diagnosis might actually harm them, and they weren't sure what to do to help these patients once diagnosed.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome performed worse than controls in a controlled repeated exercise study despite a normal oxidative phosphorylation capacity.

Vermeulen, Ruud C W, Kurk, Ruud M, Visser, Frans C et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2010

This study compared how well people with ME/CFS and healthy controls performed during two exercise tests done 24 hours apart. Patients became exhausted at much lower exercise levels than controls, and performed even worse on the second test. Surprisingly, when researchers tested the energy-producing structures (mitochondria) in patients' blood cells, they appeared to work normally, suggesting the problem may lie elsewhere in the energy production process.

Post-Exertional Malaise

Evolution of functional and sequence variants of the mammalian XPR1 receptor for mouse xenotropic gammaretroviruses and the human-derived retrovirus XMRV.

Yan, Yuhe, Liu, Qingping, Wollenberg, Kurt et al.·Journal of virology·2010

This study examined how a protein called XPR1 on cell surfaces acts as a doorway for certain viruses, including XMRV (a virus found in some people with chronic fatigue syndrome). Researchers looked at how this protein varies across different mouse species and other mammals to understand why some animals can be infected by these viruses and others cannot. They identified genetic changes in the XPR1 protein that determine whether cells allow viruses to enter.

Host range and cellular tropism of the human exogenous gammaretrovirus XMRV.

Stieler, Kristin, Schulz, Claudia, Lavanya, Madakasira et al.·Virology·2010

This study examined how XMRV, a virus found in some ME/CFS patients' blood cells, infects different types of human cells. Researchers tested which cells the virus could enter and grow in, finding that it could infect various cell types including immune cells and prostate cells. The virus appeared to replicate most efficiently in prostate tissue, suggesting the virus may have preferred targets in the body.

The role of corticosteroids and stress in chronic pain conditions.

McEwen, Bruce S, Kalia, Madhu·Metabolism: clinical and experimental·2010

This review explores how stress hormones (corticosteroids) and the body's stress response system affect chronic pain conditions, including ME/CFS. The authors explain that these hormones can have surprising and contradictory effects—sometimes reducing pain, sometimes increasing it—depending on the dose and where they act in the body. They examine how chronic stress and nervous system changes in conditions like ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and IBS may be linked to pain through brain changes and immune system activity.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

[Effect of electroacupuncture at Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) on the event-related potentials of chronic fatigue syndrome].

Cheng, Ci-Song, Zhu, Yi-Hui, Liang, Fan-Rong et al.·Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion·2010

This study looked at whether acupuncture can help ME/CFS patients by examining brain wave patterns that reflect attention and thinking. Researchers compared brain signals in healthy people and ME/CFS patients at different times of day, then treated some ME/CFS patients with acupuncture. They found that acupuncture helped restore normal daily rhythms in brain activity and improved daytime thinking ability.

Cognitive Impairment

An endogenous murine leukemia viral genome contaminant in a commercial RT-PCR kit is amplified using standard primers for XMRV.

Sato, Eiji, Furuta, Rika A, Miyazawa, Takayuki·Retrovirology·2010

Researchers testing for a virus called XMRV in ME/CFS patients discovered that one commercial laboratory test kit was contaminated with mouse virus DNA. This contamination meant that positive results from this kit could not be trusted, since the positive signal came from the kit itself rather than from patient samples. The researchers are warning other scientists to carefully check their test kits for this contamination before using them in studies.

Inhibition of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus by APOBEC3 proteins and antiviral drugs.

Paprotka, Tobias, Venkatachari, Narasimhan J, Chaipan, Chawaree et al.·Journal of virology·2010

This study investigated how a virus called XMRV, which has been found in some ME/CFS patients, survives and spreads in human cells. Researchers discovered that the virus can replicate more easily in certain cells that have low levels of natural antiviral proteins called APOBEC3. The study also found that some HIV medications (AZT, tenofovir, and raltegravir) can block XMRV replication in laboratory tests.

[Human herpesvirus 6].

Ongrádi, József, Kövesdi, Valéria, Medveczky, G Péter·Orvosi hetilap·2010

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) is a common virus that most people catch in early childhood, usually causing mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. The virus stays dormant in your body for life but can reactivate, especially if your immune system is weakened. Research suggests HHV-6 may play a role in ME/CFS and other serious conditions, possibly by changing how your immune system produces certain signaling molecules.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

The Beliefs about Emotions Scale: validity, reliability and sensitivity to change.

Rimes, Katharine A, Chalder, Trudie·Journal of psychosomatic research·2010

Researchers created a new questionnaire called the Beliefs about Emotions Scale to measure how much people with ME/CFS tend to think negative emotions are unacceptable or shouldn't be expressed. They found that people with ME/CFS had much higher scores on this scale than healthy people, and that the scores improved after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), suggesting the scale can detect real changes in these unhelpful beliefs.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

A Comparison of Immune Functionality in Viral versus Non-Viral CFS Subtypes.

Porter, Nicole, Lerch, Athena, Jason, Leonard A et al.·Journal of behavioral and neuroscience research·2010

This study compared immune system function between ME/CFS patients whose illness started after a viral infection versus those without a clear viral trigger. Researchers tested blood samples to measure different types of immune cells. They found that the two groups had different patterns of immune cell activity, suggesting that how the immune system becomes unbalanced may differ depending on what caused the illness to start.