ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

21–40 of 280 studies

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Induced pluripotent stem cells as suitable sensors for fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Monzón-Nomdedeu, María B, Morten, Karl J, Oltra, Elisa·World journal of stem cells·2021

This review examines whether special laboratory cells called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could be used as 'sensors' to detect ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. The researchers found that patients with these conditions have unusual chemicals in their blood and body fluids that differ from healthy people. They propose that iPSCs could be grown in patient samples to detect these abnormal chemicals, potentially helping diagnose these diseases and predict how patients might respond to future treatments.

BiomarkersEnergy Metabolism

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Neurological Entity?

Murga Gandasegui, Iñigo, Aranburu Laka, Larraitz, Gargiulo, Pascual-Ángel et al.·Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)·2021

This review examines whether ME/CFS is primarily a neurological disorder by looking at brain imaging studies and tests of the autonomic nervous system (the part that controls automatic body functions like heart rate). The authors found that while brain imaging shows various changes in ME/CFS patients, these changes aren't specific enough to diagnose the condition on their own. However, specialized tests measuring heart rate variability and immune responses show promise as potential biomarkers that could help identify and monitor ME/CFS.

BiomarkersPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

A systematic review of metabolomic dysregulation in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (CFS/ME/SEID).

Huth, Teilah Kathryn, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie, Staines, Donald et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2020

Researchers reviewed 11 studies that measured tiny chemical molecules (metabolites) in the blood and urine of ME/CFS patients to see if problems with these chemicals might explain the illness. While they found some patterns—especially with chemicals related to amino acids (building blocks of proteins)—the results were inconsistent across different studies. The researchers concluded that we don't yet have enough evidence that metabolite problems cause ME/CFS.

Biomarkers

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

A systematic review of mitochondrial abnormalities in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome/systemic exertion intolerance disease.

Holden, Sean, Maksoud, Rebekah, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2020

This review looked at 19 studies examining whether the power-generating structures in our cells (called mitochondria) work differently in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. While many studies found some differences in how these cellular power plants function, the results were inconsistent across different research groups, making it hard to draw clear conclusions about whether mitochondrial problems actually cause ME/CFS.

Biomarkers

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

The clinical value of cytokines in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yang, Tiansong, Yang, Yan, Wang, Delong et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2019

This review examined whether immune system signaling molecules called cytokines could help doctors diagnose or treat ME/CFS. While researchers found that cytokines are abnormal in ME/CFS patients' blood and fluid around the brain, the current evidence shows these markers are not reliable enough to use alone for diagnosis. The review suggests that measuring multiple cytokines together might help doctors better understand what's happening in individual patients, but cytokines are not yet proven as effective treatment targets.

BiomarkersImmune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearSystematic-Review

A systematic review of cytokines in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/systemic exertion intolerance disease (CFS/ME/SEID).

Corbitt, Matthew, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie, Staines, Donald et al.·BMC neurology·2019

Researchers reviewed 15 studies that measured immune signaling molecules called cytokines in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. Although many studies have looked at cytokines in ME/CFS, the results were too mixed and inconsistent to show that cytokines could be used as a reliable test for the condition or to confirm a clear role in causing the disease.

BiomarkersImmune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredMeta-Analysis

Inflammatory proteins are altered in chronic fatigue syndrome-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Strawbridge, Rebecca, Sartor, Maria-Laura, Scott, Fraser et al.·Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2019

This research review looked at 42 studies measuring inflammatory proteins (substances in the blood linked to inflammation) in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy people. The researchers found that people with ME/CFS had higher levels of five specific inflammatory proteins, but twelve other proteins were similar to healthy controls. This suggests that inflammation may play a role in ME/CFS for some patients, but it's likely not the main problem for everyone with the condition.

BiomarkersImmune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

[Myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome].

Brinth, Louise, Nielsen, Henrik, Varming, Kim et al.·Ugeskrift for laeger·2019

ME/CFS is a serious condition that causes extreme tiredness affecting both mind and body, along with pain, sleep problems, difficulty thinking clearly, and a symptom called post-exertional malaise where activity makes symptoms worse. Research has found changes in patients' cells, hormones, immune systems, and how their bodies process energy, which could lead to better ways to diagnose and treat this condition.

BiomarkersEnergy MetabolismImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Metabolic abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a mini-review.

Tomas, Cara, Newton, Julia·Biochemical Society transactions·2018

This review examines research showing that people with ME/CFS have problems with how their bodies use energy at a cellular level. Scientists have found several different metabolic abnormalities—issues with immune function, mitochondria (the cell's power plants), muscle acid buildup, and other energy-related problems—that could potentially be used as biomarkers (measurable signs) to diagnose the disease. However, no single test can yet reliably identify ME/CFS.

BiomarkersImmune System

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearEvidence-Map

The European ME/CFS Biomarker Landscape project: an initiative of the European network EUROMENE.

Scheibenbogen, Carmen, Freitag, Helma, Blanco, Julià et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2017

Researchers across Europe are working together to find biological markers (signs in blood or body tests) that could help diagnose ME/CFS and track how treatments work. This study reviewed all the biomarker research happening in Europe and created a database of what scientists are studying. The goal is to develop reliable tests that doctors could use in the future to diagnose ME/CFS and improve clinical trials.

Biomarkers

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Symptoms and Biomarkers.

Jason, Leonard A, Zinn, Marcie L, Zinn, Mark A·Current neuropharmacology·2015

This review article examines what we know about ME/CFS symptoms and biological markers that could help diagnose the disease. The authors point out that ME/CFS is often confused with other conditions like early multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease because they share similar symptoms. They call for better standardized ways to diagnose ME/CFS and more large-scale studies to understand what's happening in the body during this illness.

Biomarkers

E0 ConsensusReviewPEM not requiredSystematic-Review

The genetics and epigenetics of fatigue.

Landmark-Høyvik, Hege, Reinertsen, Kristin V, Loge, Jon H et al.·PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation·2010

This study reviewed scientific literature to understand whether genetics (inherited traits) and epigenetics (chemical changes that affect how genes work) influence fatigue in people with ME/CFS and other conditions. The researchers found that while some biological systems appear to malfunction in people with persistent fatigue, no clear genetic or epigenetic markers have been reliably identified yet. The authors argue that future research needs to be larger, better-designed, and consider how genes, environment, and body systems work together.

Endocrine DisruptionBiomarkers

E1 ReplicatedCohortPEM unclearObservational

Cytokine signature associated with disease severity in chronic fatigue syndrome patients

Jose G. Montoya, Tyson H. Holmes, Jill N. Anderson et al.·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)·2017·n=192

Stanford researchers measured 51 cytokines in 192 ME/CFS patients and 392 healthy controls. Seventeen cytokines were significantly elevated in ME/CFS, with TGF-beta most strongly associated with disease severity. More severe patients had higher cytokine levels, suggesting immune activation scales with illness burden.

Severe MEBiomarkersImmune System

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM unclearCase-Control

Cytokine signatures in chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a Case Control Study and the effect of anakinra treatment.

Roerink, Megan E, Knoop, Hans, Bronkhorst, Ewald M et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2017

Researchers compared immune signaling molecules (cytokines) in the blood of 50 women with ME/CFS to 48 healthy women and found two markers were elevated in the ME/CFS group: IL-12p40 and CSF-1. They also tested whether a drug called anakinra (which blocks inflammation) could help reduce these markers, but found it did not significantly change cytokine levels after 4 weeks of treatment.

BiomarkersImmune System

E1 ReplicatedCohortPEM requiredObservational

Metabolic features of chronic fatigue syndrome

Robert K. Naviaux, Jane C. Naviaux, Kefeng Li et al.·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)·2016·n=84

This study analyzed blood metabolites from 84 ME/CFS patients and 45 healthy controls using untargeted metabolomics. Researchers found 80% of the abnormal metabolites were decreased in ME/CFS patients, suggesting a hypometabolic state — the body running in energy conservation mode. The pattern resembled a 'dauer-like' state seen in organisms under stress.

BiomarkersEnergy Metabolism

E1 ReplicatedTrialPEM not requiredRCT

Effect of Milnacipran Treatment on Ventricular Lactate in Fibromyalgia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Natelson, Benjamin H, Vu, Diana, Mao, Xiangling et al.·The journal of pain·2015

This study tested whether a medication called milnacipran could reduce brain inflammation and pain in fibromyalgia patients. Researchers measured a chemical called lactate in the brain using a special MRI scan and found that fibromyalgia patients had higher levels than healthy people. After 8 weeks of treatment, patients taking milnacipran showed lower lactate levels and less pain compared to those taking placebo, suggesting the medication may work by reducing brain inflammation.

NeuroinflammationBiomarkers

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 unclearLongitudinal

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 Persist Over 3 Years in Acute Lung Injury/Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Survivors But Are Not Associated With Persistent Thromboinflammation or Endothelial Dysfunction.

Jones, Ansley E, Khan, Zain, McGroder, Claire F et al.·Critical care explorations·2026

This study followed people who were hospitalized with severe COVID-19 for 3 years after they left the hospital. About one-quarter of them continued to experience long COVID symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and difficulty with physical activity. Surprisingly, when researchers measured inflammation and blood vessel markers in their blood, these markers were not elevated and did not explain why some people had ongoing symptoms.

BiomarkersImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Disrupted glymphatic function and its relationship with sleep and cognitive impairment in ME/CFS assessed via DTI-ALPS.

Thapaliya, Kiran, Marshall-Gradisnik, Sonya, Inderyas, Maira et al.·Frontiers in neuroscience·2026

Researchers used a brain imaging technique called DTI-ALPS to measure how well the brain clears waste during sleep in 31 ME/CFS patients and 27 healthy controls. They observed that ME/CFS patients had lower measurements than controls, and these measurements were associated with worse sleep disturbance and concentration problems. However, this is a preliminary study in a small group, and it remains unclear whether reduced glymphatic function actually causes ME/CFS symptoms or is simply correlated with them.

NeuroinflammationBiomarkersSleepCognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Exploring differences in protein cargo of extracellular vesicles from ME/CFS patient plasma compared to healthy controls.

Rydland, Anne, Yran, Elena Støvring, Nyman, Tuula A et al.·Biochemistry and biophysics reports·2026

Researchers compared tiny particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the blood of 49 ME/CFS patients and 50 healthy controls. They found that ME/CFS patients had higher concentrations of these particles, and 11 proteins inside them were observed at different levels in ME/CFS compared to controls—though these differences did not remain statistically significant after accounting for multiple comparisons. The study is exploratory and the authors note that further investigation is needed to understand whether these EV changes are relevant to ME/CFS.

BiomarkersImmune System

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Induced pluripotent stem cells as suitable sensors for fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Neurological Entity?

A systematic review of metabolomic dysregulation in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (CFS/ME/SEID).

A systematic review of mitochondrial abnormalities in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome/systemic exertion intolerance disease.

The clinical value of cytokines in chronic fatigue syndrome.

A systematic review of cytokines in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/systemic exertion intolerance disease (CFS/ME/SEID).

Inflammatory proteins are altered in chronic fatigue syndrome-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

[Myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome].

Metabolic abnormalities in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a mini-review.

The European ME/CFS Biomarker Landscape project: an initiative of the European network EUROMENE.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: Symptoms and Biomarkers.

The genetics and epigenetics of fatigue.

Cytokine signature associated with disease severity in chronic fatigue syndrome patients

Cytokine signatures in chronic fatigue syndrome patients: a Case Control Study and the effect of anakinra treatment.

Metabolic features of chronic fatigue syndrome

Effect of Milnacipran Treatment on Ventricular Lactate in Fibromyalgia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

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

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 Persist Over 3 Years in Acute Lung Injury/Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Survivors But Are Not Associated With Persistent Thromboinflammation or Endothelial Dysfunction.

Disrupted glymphatic function and its relationship with sleep and cognitive impairment in ME/CFS assessed via DTI-ALPS.

Exploring differences in protein cargo of extracellular vesicles from ME/CFS patient plasma compared to healthy controls.

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