ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

141–160 of 1,197 studies

[Impacts on chronic fatigue syndrome of qi deficiency syndrome and T cell subgroups in patients treated with acupuncture at selective time].

Ling, Jia-Yan, Shen, Lin, Liu, Qing et al.·Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion·2013

This study tested whether acupuncture given at a specific time of day (9-11 AM) could help ME/CFS patients better than acupuncture given at other times. Eighty patients received either timed acupuncture or standard acupuncture over two 10-day treatment sessions. The timed acupuncture group showed greater improvement in fatigue, particularly mental fatigue, and showed better changes in immune cell counts.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

[Effect of lixu jieyu recipe in treating 75 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].

Zhang, Zhen-Xian, Wu, Li-Li, Chen, Min·Zhongguo Zhong xi yi jie he za zhi Zhongguo Zhongxiyi jiehe zazhi = Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine·2009

Researchers tested a traditional Chinese herbal medicine called Lixu Jieyu Recipe (LJR) in 75 ME/CFS patients over 3 months. Compared to patients who received standard vitamins and supplements, those taking LJR reported significantly greater improvements in fatigue and psychological symptoms, and showed better improvements in certain immune cell counts that are often abnormal in ME/CFS.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Effects of the intelligent-turtle massage on the physical symptoms and immune functions in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wang, Ji-hong, Chai, Tie-qu, Lin, Guo-hua et al.·Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan·2009

This study tested whether a specialized massage technique called 'intelligent-turtle massage' could help people with ME/CFS. Researchers compared this new technique to standard massage in 182 patients and found that the intelligent-turtle massage was better at reducing symptoms and appeared to strengthen certain immune system markers (IgA, IgM, and IgG). While the results suggest this massage method may offer benefits, it was a relatively small study from 2009.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of a natural killer cell stimulant (BioBran MGN-3) in chronic fatigue syndrome.

McDermott, C, Richards, S C M, Thomas, P W et al.·QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians·2006

This study tested whether a supplement called BioBran MGN-3 could reduce fatigue in people with ME/CFS by boosting immune cells called natural killer cells. Seventy-one patients took either the supplement or a placebo for 8 weeks. Both groups improved during the study, but the supplement group did not improve significantly more than the placebo group, suggesting the supplement itself was not the reason for improvement.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Immune modulation with a staphylococcal preparation in fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome: relation between antibody levels and clinical improvement.

Zachrisson, O, Colque-Navarro, P, Gottfries, C G et al.·European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology·2004

Researchers tested whether a vaccine made from killed bacteria could help people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia by stimulating their immune system. Half of 28 patients received the vaccine and half received placebo over 6 months. Patients who received the vaccine developed antibodies (immune proteins) against bacterial toxins, and those with stronger antibody responses showed more clinical improvement.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Treatment with staphylococcus toxoid in fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome--a randomised controlled trial.

Zachrisson, Olof, Regland, Björn, Jahreskog, Marianne et al.·European journal of pain (London, England)·2002

Researchers tested whether injections of a substance called staphylococcus toxoid could help people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Over 6 months, 100 patients received either the active treatment or placebo injections. Two-thirds of patients receiving the active treatment reported improvement compared to only one-fifth receiving placebo, suggesting the treatment may help some people with these conditions.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Lymphocyte markers and natural killer cell activity in fibromyalgia syndrome: effects of low-dose, sublingual use of human interferon-alpha.

Russell, I J, Vipraio, G A, Michalek, J E et al.·Journal of interferon & cytokine research : the official journal of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research·1999

This study examined immune system cells in people with fibromyalgia and compared them to healthy people. Researchers gave some fibromyalgia patients very small doses of interferon-alpha (a substance the body makes to fight infections) under the tongue for 6 weeks, while others received placebo. The study found some changes in certain immune cells, but the results did not show the same type of immune system abnormalities that have been found in chronic fatigue syndrome patients.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Intravenous immunoglobulin is ineffective in the treatment of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Vollmer-Conna, U, Hickie, I, Hadzi-Pavlovic, D et al.·The American journal of medicine·1997

This study tested whether intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg)—a blood product containing antibodies—could help treat ME/CFS. Ninety-nine patients received either IVIg at different doses or a placebo monthly for 3 months. The researchers found that IVIg at any dose did not improve symptoms, quality of life, or daily functioning compared to placebo. Side effects were common in both groups, suggesting IVIg is not an effective treatment for ME/CFS.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Clinical improvement in chronic fatigue syndrome is not associated with lymphocyte subsets of function or activation.

Peakman, M, Deale, A, Field, R et al.·Clinical immunology and immunopathology·1997

Researchers tested whether immune system changes were linked to ME/CFS symptoms and whether treating ME/CFS would change immune markers. They measured various immune cell types in 43 ME/CFS patients and healthy controls before and after treatment. They found that most immune markers were similar between patients and controls, and improvements in symptoms were not connected to changes in immune cells.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Consequences of live poliovirus vaccine administration in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Vedhara, K, Llewelyn, M B, Fox, J D et al.·Journal of neuroimmunology·1997

Researchers gave some ME/CFS patients a live polio vaccine while others received a placebo, and followed them to see what happened. The good news is that the vaccine did not make ME/CFS symptoms worse. However, blood tests showed that ME/CFS patients had some differences in how their immune systems responded to the vaccine compared to healthy people, including differences in fighting off the virus and in certain immune cell counts.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Lessons from a pilot study of transfer factor in chronic fatigue syndrome.

De Vinci, C, Levine, P H, Pizza, G et al.·Biotherapy (Dordrecht, Netherlands)·1996

This small study tested whether Transfer Factor (TF), a substance derived from immune cells, could help people with ME/CFS feel better. Twenty patients received either TF or a placebo, and researchers tracked their symptoms and blood levels of viruses linked to ME/CFS. Twelve patients showed improvement within 3-6 weeks of starting treatment, though the study was too small to prove TF definitely works.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Double-blind placebo-controlled study of the efficacy of oral terfenadine in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Steinberg, P, McNutt, B E, Marshall, P et al.·The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology·1996

Researchers tested whether terfenadine, an antihistamine medication, could help reduce ME/CFS symptoms in 28 patients over two months. Despite finding that most ME/CFS patients had signs of allergies, the medication showed no benefit for fatigue, functioning, or overall well-being compared to placebo. This study suggests antihistamines are unlikely to be an effective treatment for ME/CFS.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

alpha-Interferon treatment of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

See, D M, Tilles, J G·Immunological investigations·1996

Researchers gave 30 ME/CFS patients either a drug called interferon or a placebo (inactive treatment) in a controlled trial to see if it would help. While the drug boosted a type of immune cell called Natural Killer cells in the blood, it only actually improved symptoms and quality of life for patients who had specifically low NK cell function at the start. For those 7 patients, their symptoms got significantly better after 12 weeks of treatment.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Changes in the 2-5A synthetase/RNase L antiviral pathway in a controlled clinical trial with poly(I)-poly(C12U) in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Suhadolnik, R J, Reichenbach, N L, Hitzges, P et al.·In vivo (Athens, Greece)·1994

This study looked at whether a drug called poly(I)-poly(C12U) could help ME/CFS by measuring specific immune markers in the blood. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had higher levels of these immune markers than healthy controls, and when treated with the drug, these markers decreased along with improvements in thinking and memory problems.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

A controlled clinical trial with a specifically configured RNA drug, poly(I).poly(C12U), in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Strayer, D R, Carter, W A, Brodsky, I et al.·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994

This study tested whether an experimental drug called poly(I).poly(C12U) could help people with ME/CFS. Ninety-two patients received either the drug or a placebo for 24 weeks. Those who received the drug showed improvements in daily functioning, mental clarity, ability to exercise, and overall performance compared to those who received placebo.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Immunological and psychological dysfunction in patients receiving immunotherapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Hickie, I, Lloyd, A, Wakefield, D·The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry·1992

This study examined whether depression and immune system problems in ME/CFS patients are connected. Researchers gave 33 patients with ME/CFS either a high-dose immune treatment or placebo and tracked changes in both mood and immune markers. Patients who received the real treatment showed that when their immune systems improved, their depression symptoms also improved together, suggesting these problems may be linked to the same underlying cause rather than one causing the other.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

A controlled trial of intravenous immunoglobulin G in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Peterson, P K, Shepard, J, Macres, M et al.·The American journal of medicine·1990

Researchers tested whether a blood product called intravenous immunoglobulin G (IV IgG) could help people with ME/CFS by giving it to 28 patients every month for 6 months. Although some patients had low levels of this protein at the start, IV IgG did not improve fatigue, daily functioning, or overall health compared to placebo, even though the treatment restored protein levels to normal.

Immune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lloyd, A, Hickie, I, Wakefield, D et al.·The American journal of medicine·1990

This study tested whether a high-dose immune protein treatment (intravenous immunoglobulin) could help people with ME/CFS. Researchers gave 49 patients either the treatment or placebo and measured changes in fatigue, mood, physical function, and immune markers. More people who received the treatment reported significant improvement and returned to work and activities compared to those who received placebo, suggesting immune system problems may play a role in ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Elevated serum levels of interleukin-11 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chinnappan, Baskaran, Kempuraj, Duraisamy, Aenlle, Kristina K et al.·Frontiers in immunology·2026

Researchers measured two immune proteins (IL-11 and MMP-9) in the blood of 40 ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy controls, finding higher levels in the ME/CFS group. In the laboratory, they also showed that immune cells called mast cells release MMP-9 when exposed to a protein from Epstein-Barr virus. These are preliminary observations in one study that suggest these proteins may be associated with ME/CFS, but this does not yet establish their role in the disease.

NeuroinflammationBiomarkersImmune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Involvement of autoantibodies against G protein-coupled receptors in post-COVID condition and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Azcue, N, Prada, A, Del Pino, R et al.·Scientific reports·2026

Researchers compared immune markers called autoantibodies in people with post-COVID condition, ME/CFS, and healthy controls. They found that people with ME/CFS had higher levels of antibodies against certain nerve receptors (β2 adrenergic), and these antibodies were associated with autonomic nervous system problems and memory changes. However, this is a single cross-sectional study, and autoimmunity remains one of several proposed mechanisms—it is not yet clear whether these antibodies are a cause or a consequence of ME/CFS.

BiomarkersAutonomic Nervous SystemImmune SystemCognitive Impairment

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Evidence browser

[Impacts on chronic fatigue syndrome of qi deficiency syndrome and T cell subgroups in patients treated with acupuncture at selective time].

[Effect of lixu jieyu recipe in treating 75 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome].

Effects of the intelligent-turtle massage on the physical symptoms and immune functions in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of a natural killer cell stimulant (BioBran MGN-3) in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Immune modulation with a staphylococcal preparation in fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome: relation between antibody levels and clinical improvement.

Treatment with staphylococcus toxoid in fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome--a randomised controlled trial.

Lymphocyte markers and natural killer cell activity in fibromyalgia syndrome: effects of low-dose, sublingual use of human interferon-alpha.

Intravenous immunoglobulin is ineffective in the treatment of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Clinical improvement in chronic fatigue syndrome is not associated with lymphocyte subsets of function or activation.

Consequences of live poliovirus vaccine administration in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Lessons from a pilot study of transfer factor in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Double-blind placebo-controlled study of the efficacy of oral terfenadine in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

alpha-Interferon treatment of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Changes in the 2-5A synthetase/RNase L antiviral pathway in a controlled clinical trial with poly(I)-poly(C12U) in chronic fatigue syndrome.

A controlled clinical trial with a specifically configured RNA drug, poly(I).poly(C12U), in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Immunological and psychological dysfunction in patients receiving immunotherapy for chronic fatigue syndrome.

A controlled trial of intravenous immunoglobulin G in chronic fatigue syndrome.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Elevated serum levels of interleukin-11 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Involvement of autoantibodies against G protein-coupled receptors in post-COVID condition and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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