Evidence browser

Identification of actin network proteins, talin-1 and filamin-A, in circulating extracellular vesicles as blood biomarkers for human myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Eguchi, Akiko, Fukuda, Sanae, Kuratsune, Hirohiko et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2020

This study found that people with ME/CFS have higher levels of tiny particles called extracellular vesicles in their blood, which contain specific proteins (talin-1 and filamin-A) that appear to be unique markers of the disease. By measuring these particles and proteins in a simple blood test, researchers were able to correctly identify ME/CFS patients about 90-94% of the time, suggesting this could become a useful diagnostic tool.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Using Plasma Autoantibodies of Central Nervous System Proteins to Distinguish Veterans with Gulf War Illness from Healthy and Symptomatic Controls.

Abou-Donia, Mohamed B, Lapadula, Elizabeth S, Krengel, Maxine H et al.·Brain sciences·2020

Researchers tested blood samples from Gulf War veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI) and compared them to healthy veterans and people with ME/CFS or irritable bowel syndrome. They found that GWI veterans had higher levels of autoantibodies—proteins the immune system makes that mistakenly attack the brain and nervous system—compared to all three control groups. This suggests that a blood test measuring these autoantibodies could potentially help doctors diagnose Gulf War Illness objectively.

NeuroinflammationBiomarkers

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

The role of low-grade inflammation in ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) - associations with symptoms.

Jonsjö, Martin A, Olsson, Gunnar L, Wicksell, Rikard K et al.·Psychoneuroendocrinology·2020

This study looked at whether low-level inflammation in the blood is connected to ME/CFS symptoms like exhaustion after activity, brain fog, muscle pain, and flu-like illness. Researchers tested 53 ME/CFS patients for various inflammatory markers and found that several of these markers were associated with cognitive problems and pain, though they were surprisingly less connected to post-exertional fatigue. Interestingly, the connection between inflammation and symptoms was different for men and women in some cases.

BiomarkersImmune SystemCognitive ImpairmentPost-Exertional Malaise

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

Machine Learning Detects Pattern of Differences in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Data between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Gulf War Illness (GWI).

Provenzano, Destie, Washington, Stuart D, Rao, Yuan J et al.·Brain sciences·2020

This study used brain imaging (fMRI) and computer learning programs to see if people with ME/CFS and Gulf War Illness have different patterns of brain activity during memory tasks, both before and after exercise. Researchers found that computer programs could correctly distinguish between the two conditions about 75-82% of the time, and identified about 30-33 brain regions that showed different activation patterns between the two groups. This suggests that ME/CFS and Gulf War Illness may have measurable biological differences in how the brain works during cognitive tasks and recovery from exertion.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

A Machine Learning Approach to the Differentiation of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) From a Sedentary Control.

Provenzano, Destie, Washington, Stuart D, Baraniuk, James N·Frontiers in computational neuroscience·2020

Researchers used a computer algorithm to analyze brain scans from ME/CFS patients and healthy controls while they performed a memory task, both before and after exercise. The algorithm was able to correctly identify which scans came from ME/CFS patients 80% of the time on the first day and 76% on the second day, suggesting that ME/CFS may create a distinctive pattern of brain activity that could eventually be used as an objective diagnostic test.

Properties of measurements obtained during cardiopulmonary exercise testing in individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Davenport, Todd E, Stevens, Staci R, Stevens, Jared et al.·Work (Reading, Mass.)·2020

Researchers tested whether a standard exercise test (cardiopulmonary exercise test, or CPET) could reliably measure how ME/CFS affects the body's ability to exercise. They had 51 women with ME/CFS and 10 healthy women do the same exercise test twice, 24 hours apart. The results showed that the measurements were consistent and clearly different between the two groups, suggesting that CPET could be a useful tool for assessing ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredLongitudinal

Predictors of chronic fatigue in adolescents six months after acute Epstein-Barr virus infection: A prospective cohort study.

Pedersen, Maria, Asprusten, Tarjei Tørre, Godang, Kristin et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2019

This study followed 200 teenagers who had an acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection to see which factors predicted who would develop lasting fatigue six months later. Researchers measured many baseline characteristics including pain sensitivity, mood, memory, physical activity level, and blood markers like vitamin B12 and inflammation levels. They found that fatigue six months after EBV was most strongly predicted by things like sensory sensitivity, pain, anxiety, and how active the teenager was—rather than by immune system markers alone.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Circulating levels of GDF15 in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Melvin, A, Lacerda, E, Dockrell, H M et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2019

This study measured a protein called GDF15 in the blood of ME/CFS patients and compared it to healthy people. GDF15 is released by cells when they are stressed or damaged. The researchers found that patients with severe ME/CFS had higher levels of GDF15 than healthy controls, and the levels of this protein were linked to how tired patients felt. The GDF15 levels stayed relatively stable over several months, suggesting it could be a useful marker for measuring cellular stress in ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Decreased Expression of the CD57 Molecule in T Lymphocytes of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Espinosa, P, Urra, J M·Molecular neurobiology·2019

Researchers measured levels of a protein called CD57 on immune cells in ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people. They found that ME/CFS patients had significantly lower amounts of CD57 on their T cells (a type of white blood cell). This difference was large enough that measuring CD57 levels could potentially help doctors diagnose ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Artificial intelligence based discovery of the association between depression and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Zhang, Feilong, Wu, Chuanhong, Jia, Caixia et al.·Journal of affective disorders·2019

This study looked at whether depression and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) share common biological markers in the blood and urine. Researchers used advanced chemical testing and artificial intelligence to analyze samples from 295 people and found that depression and CFS have some overlapping chemical signatures, though they also have distinct differences. The findings suggest these two conditions may be more closely related than previously thought.

Patients with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome show increased hsCRP compared to healthy controls.

Groven, Nina, Fors, Egil A, Reitan, Solveig Klæbo·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2019

This study measured inflammation markers in the blood of people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, compared to healthy people. Both patient groups had higher levels of a marker called hsCRP (a sign of inflammation) than healthy controls. The two conditions showed similar inflammation levels, suggesting they may share some biological similarities.

BiomarkersEnergy Metabolism

Metabolic features of Gulf War illness.

Naviaux, Robert K, Naviaux, Jane C, Li, Kefeng et al.·PloS one·2019

Researchers studied blood samples from Gulf War veterans with chronic illness and compared them to healthy controls. They found that veterans with Gulf War illness had abnormal levels of certain fats in their blood, particularly a type called ceramides and sphingomyelins. Interestingly, while Gulf War illness and ME/CFS share some similar symptom patterns, the chemical changes in the blood are largely opposite between the two conditions.

Multidimensional Comparison of Cancer-Related Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Role of Psychophysiological Markers.

Park, Hye Youn, Jeon, Hong Jun, Bang, Young Rong et al.·Psychiatry investigation·2019

This study compared fatigue in people with cancer (CRF) and people with ME/CFS to see if these conditions are similar or different. Researchers measured fatigue levels, mood, stress, sleep quality, and specific biological markers like inflammation and brain activity. While both groups reported similar amounts of fatigue, they showed different underlying biological patterns, suggesting the two conditions may have different causes.

E2 ModerateDiagnosticPEM requiredMechanistic

A nanoelectronics-blood-based diagnostic biomarker for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

Rahim Esfandyarpour, Aref Kashi, Maya Nemat-Gorgani et al.·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)·2019·n=40

Stanford researchers developed a nanoelectronics device that detects immune cell changes using a tiny electrical sensor. When salt stress was applied to blood samples, ME/CFS patient samples showed a distinctly different electrical response compared to healthy controls. This 'nano-needle' assay could potentially serve as an objective diagnostic test.

BiomarkersDiagnostics

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Associations between clinical symptoms, plasma norepinephrine and deregulated immune gene networks in subgroups of adolescent with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Nguyen, Chinh Bkrong, Kumar, Surendra, Zucknick, Manuela et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2019

This study looked at blood samples from teenagers with ME/CFS to understand how their immune systems and stress-response chemicals differ from healthy teenagers. Researchers found two distinct subgroups of ME/CFS patients based on immune activity and a stress hormone called norepinephrine. Patients with lower norepinephrine levels had more severe fatigue, while those with higher levels showed different patterns of immune dysfunction.

A laboratory approach for characterizing chronic fatigue: what does metabolomics tell us?

Erasmus, Elardus, Mason, Shayne, van Reenen, Mari et al.·Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society·2019

This study looked at whether a simple urine test could help measure fatigue severity in ME/CFS patients. Researchers used a specialized scanning technique (NMR) to analyze urine samples from 578 women with chronic fatigue before and after a detoxification challenge, finding that the fatigue group showed different metabolite patterns compared to controls. While the study didn't identify a single reliable biomarker for fatigue, it suggests that fatigue may be connected to how the body processes toxins.

A new approach to find biomarkers in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) by single-cell Raman micro-spectroscopy.

Xu, Jiabao, Potter, Michelle, Tomas, Cara et al.·The Analyst·2019

Researchers used a new scanning technology called Raman spectroscopy to look at individual cells from ME/CFS patients and healthy people. They found that cells from ME/CFS patients had higher levels of a protein building block called phenylalanine, similar to cells with broken energy-producing structures (mitochondria). Using computer learning, they could identify ME/CFS patient cells with 98% accuracy based on this signature.

Evidence of Clinical Pathology Abnormalities in People with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) from an Analytic Cross-Sectional Study.

Nacul, Luis, de Barros, Barbara, Kingdon, Caroline C et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2019

Researchers tested blood samples from 272 people with ME/CFS and 136 healthy people to look for measurable differences that might help diagnose the condition. They found that people with severe ME/CFS had notably lower levels of an enzyme called creatine kinase (CK) in their blood compared to healthy people and those with milder ME/CFS. This is the first study to report this pattern, suggesting that CK levels might be useful for identifying who has the most severe form of the disease.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

MicroRNAs as Biomarkers of Pain Intensity in Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Al-Rawaf, Hadeel A, Alghadir, Ahmad H, Gabr, Sami A·Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain·2019

This study looked at tiny molecules called microRNAs in the blood of adolescents with ME/CFS to see if they could help explain why these patients experience pain. Researchers found that five specific microRNAs were lower in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy teens, and these changes were linked to higher levels of inflammatory chemicals that are known to cause pain. Interestingly, girls with ME/CFS had even lower microRNA levels and higher inflammation markers than boys with the condition.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM requiredCross-Sectional

Rethinking ME/CFS Diagnostic Reference Intervals via Machine Learning, and the Utility of Activin B for Defining Symptom Severity.

Lidbury, Brett A, Kita, Badia, Richardson, Alice M et al.·Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)·2019

This study looked for blood test markers that could help diagnose ME/CFS and measure how severe someone's illness is. Researchers tested a protein called activin B along with routine blood work from pathology labs in people with ME/CFS and healthy controls. They used a computer learning method to see which combinations of blood markers worked best for identifying ME/CFS and predicting symptom severity.