ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

2501–2520 of 6,188 studies

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Absence of XMRV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ARV-treatment naïve HIV-1 infected and HIV-1/HCV coinfected individuals and blood donors.

Gingaras, Cosmina, Danielson, Bryan P, Vigil, Karen J et al.·PloS one·2012

Researchers tested blood samples from HIV-infected patients, people with both HIV and hepatitis C, and healthy blood donors to see if they carried a virus called XMRV. XMRV had been reported in some ME/CFS patients, so scientists wanted to check if it was more common in people with weakened immune systems. They found virtually no XMRV in any of the blood samples tested, suggesting this virus is not present in these groups.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Activation of cell-mediated immunity in depression: association with inflammation, melancholia, clinical staging and the fatigue and somatic symptom cluster of depression.

Maes, Michael, Mihaylova, Ivana, Kubera, Marta et al.·Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry·2012

This study looked at immune system markers in people with depression, comparing them to healthy controls. Researchers measured chemicals called neopterin and inflammatory proteins in the blood and found they were higher in depressed patients, especially those with melancholia (severe depression with physical symptoms). These same markers were also linked to chronic fatigue symptoms, suggesting that immune system activation may play a role in both depression and fatigue.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Absence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in blood donors in China.

Mi, Zhiqiang, Lu, Ying, Zhang, Shana et al.·Transfusion·2012

Researchers tested 391 healthy blood donors in China to see if they carried a virus called XMRV, which had been found in some people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Using sensitive laboratory tests, they found no evidence of this virus in any of the blood donors. This suggests that XMRV may not be present in the Chinese blood donor population.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Inflammatory and cell-mediated immune biomarkers in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and depression: inflammatory markers are higher in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome than in depression.

Maes, Michael, Twisk, Frank N M, Ringel, Karl·Psychotherapy and psychosomatics·2012

This study found that people with ME/CFS have higher levels of inflammatory markers (immune chemicals) in their blood compared to people with depression, even though both conditions can cause fatigue and other similar symptoms. The researchers measured specific immune proteins and found that while both ME/CFS and depression involve some immune system changes, ME/CFS shows a distinctly different immune profile that helps distinguish it from depression.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Seroprevalence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in normal and retrovirus-infected blood donors.

Qiu, Xiaoxing, Swanson, Priscilla, Tang, Ning et al.·Transfusion·2012

Researchers tested blood samples from over 2,000 donors worldwide to see if they carried XMRV, a virus that had been suggested as a possible cause of ME/CFS. They found very little evidence that XMRV was present in most people's blood. The small amount of positive results they found were likely false positives caused by confusion with a different virus (HTLV-I) that shares similar genetic sequences.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Chronic fatigue syndrome: acute infection and history of physical activity affect resting levels and response to exercise of plasma oxidant/antioxidant status and heat shock proteins.

Jammes, Y, Steinberg, J G, Delliaux, S·Journal of internal medicine·2012

This study examined whether a history of intense exercise or serious infections in ME/CFS patients affects how their bodies handle oxidative stress (cellular damage) and produce protective heat shock proteins. Researchers compared 43 ME/CFS patients with different backgrounds to 23 healthy controls, measuring stress markers and protective proteins both at rest and after exercise. They found that ME/CFS patients with a history of high-level sports or infections showed signs of greater cellular damage and weaker protective responses to exercise.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Increased IgA and IgM responses against gut commensals in chronic depression: further evidence for increased bacterial translocation or leaky gut.

Maes, Michael, Kubera, Marta, Leunis, Jean-Claude et al.·Journal of affective disorders·2012

This study looked at whether depression might be linked to bacteria leaking from the gut into the bloodstream. Researchers measured immune proteins (IgA and IgM antibodies) in the blood of depressed patients that target common gut bacteria, and found these antibodies were higher in depressed people than in healthy controls. The findings suggest that if gut bacteria do leak into the blood, the body's immune system reacts to them, which could contribute to depression—particularly long-lasting depression.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Temporal ordering of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and non-bladder conditions.

Clemens, J Quentin, Elliott, Marc N, Suttorp, Marika et al.·Urology·2012

This study looked at nearly 3,400 women with bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) to see how often they also had other long-term conditions like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, panic attacks, and depression. The researchers found that most of these conditions commonly occur together, but the symptoms don't follow a predictable order—sometimes the bladder symptoms came first, sometimes the other conditions came first, and sometimes they started around the same time.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

The assessment of the energy metabolism in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome by serum fluorescence emission.

Mikirova, Nina, Casciari, Joseph, Hunninghake, Ronald·Alternative therapies in health and medicine·2012

This study tested whether measuring a specific molecule in the blood called NAD(P)H could help diagnose and monitor ME/CFS. The researchers found that people with ME/CFS had lower levels of this energy-related molecule compared to healthy people, and this difference might be useful as a blood test marker for the disease.

Energy Metabolism

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Cognitive deficits in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome compared to those with major depressive disorder and healthy controls.

Constant, E L, Adam, S, Gillain, B et al.·Clinical neurology and neurosurgery·2011

This study tested memory and attention in people with ME/CFS, comparing them to people with depression and healthy volunteers. People with ME/CFS showed real, measurable problems with attention and memory, but these problems were NOT simply caused by depression or by getting tired during testing. Importantly, the cognitive difficulties in ME/CFS appeared to be their own distinct issue, separate from their mood symptoms.

Cognitive Impairment

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus-associated chronic fatigue syndrome reveals a distinct inflammatory signature.

Lombardi, Vincent C, Hagen, Kathryn S, Hunter, Kenneth W et al.·In vivo (Athens, Greece)·2011

This 2011 study looked for a specific virus (XMRV) in the blood of ME/CFS patients and measured immune system chemicals called cytokines and chemokines. Researchers found a distinctive pattern of 10 immune chemicals that could identify XMRV-positive patients with very high accuracy (93-96%), suggesting that this virus may trigger a particular type of immune response in some people with ME/CFS.

Immune System

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Prevalence of XMRV nucleic acid and antibody in HIV-1-Infected men and in men at risk for HIV-1 Infection.

Spindler, J, Hackett, J, Qiu, X et al.·Advances in virology·2011

This study tested blood samples from men in an HIV research study to see if they were infected with XMRV, a virus that had been proposed as a possible cause of ME/CFS. Researchers used two different methods to look for the virus: checking for antibodies (immune system responses) and checking for the virus itself. They found no evidence that XMRV was actually present in any of the samples tested.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

Patient-reported outcomes as a source of evidence in off-label prescribing: analysis of data from PatientsLikeMe.

Frost, Jeana, Okun, Sally, Vaughan, Timothy et al.·Journal of medical Internet research·2011

This study looked at how patients can help doctors understand whether existing medicines work for conditions they weren't originally designed to treat. Researchers analyzed information from an online patient community where people with conditions like ME/CFS shared their experiences with two medicines: amitriptyline and modafinil. The study found that most patients were using these drugs for purposes other than what they were officially approved for, and many reported the drugs helped them.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Diagnostic accuracy of symptoms characterising chronic fatigue syndrome.

Davenport, Todd E, Stevens, Staci R, Baroni, Katie et al.·Disability and rehabilitation·2011

This study looked at which symptoms best identify people with ME/CFS by comparing 16 patients with the condition to 14 healthy controls. The researchers found that failure to recover within one day after intense exercise was the strongest single indicator of ME/CFS, and combining three symptoms—immune problems, sleep disturbance, and pain—could accurately identify most patients. The findings suggest that fewer symptoms may be needed to diagnose ME/CFS than current guidelines require.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Absence of detectable xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in plasma or peripheral blood mononuclear cells of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected blood donors or individuals in Africa.

Tang, Shixing, Zhao, Jiangqin, Viswanath, Ragupathy et al.·Transfusion·2011

Researchers tested blood samples from HIV-positive individuals and blood donors in Africa to see if they carried a virus called XMRV, which had been suggested as a possible cause of ME/CFS. Using sensitive laboratory tests, they found no evidence of XMRV in any of the 268 samples they examined. This suggests that XMRV may not be common in these populations.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredObservational

No Evidence of XMRV or MuLV Sequences in Prostate Cancer, Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, or the UK Blood Donor Population.

Robinson, Mark James, Tuke, Philip William, Erlwein, Otto et al.·Advances in virology·2011

This study tested whether XMRV (a virus that was claimed to cause ME/CFS) could be found in prostate cancer patients, lymphoma patients, and healthy blood donors in the UK. Researchers looked for genetic traces of the virus using sensitive laboratory tests. They found no evidence that XMRV or related viruses were actually infecting these groups of people.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Clinical characteristics of patients with medically unexplained chronic widespread pain: a primary care center study.

Lee, Kye Hwa, Kim, Cheol Hwan, Shin, Ho Cheol et al.·Korean journal of family medicine·2011

This study examined 109 patients with chronic widespread pain to understand what makes medically unexplained pain different from pain caused by known medical or psychological conditions. Researchers found that patients with unexplained pain had more tender points on their body, greater fatigue, and more functional impairment than those with pain linked to known medical causes, but were very similar to those with pain linked to psychological factors.

Pain and Sensitization

E2 ModerateCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

Increased tenderness in the left third intercostal space in adult patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis: a controlled study.

Puri, B K, Gunatilake, K D R, Fernando, K A C et al.·The Journal of international medical research·2011

Researchers examined the chests of 42 people with ME/CFS and 20 healthy people to look for physical signs. They found that 81% of people with ME/CFS had tenderness (pain when touched) in a specific area on the left side of their rib cage, while none of the healthy people had this tenderness. This suggests there may be a consistent physical finding that doctors could potentially use to help identify ME/CFS.

E2 ModerateBehavioralPEM not requiredObservational

The role of acceptance in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Brooks, Samantha K, Rimes, Katharine A, Chalder, Trudie·Journal of psychosomatic research·2011

This study looked at whether learning to accept ME/CFS (rather than fighting against it) helps patients feel less fatigued and function better in daily life. Researchers gave 259 patients questionnaires and then provided 90 of them with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). After treatment, patients who had learned greater acceptance reported less fatigue and better ability to work and socialize.

E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional

Up-regulation of TGF-β1 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Zhang, Hai-Ying, Liu, Zhan-Dong, Hu, Chao-Jun et al.·Journal of the Formosan Medical Association = Taiwan yi zhi·2011

Researchers measured levels of a immune signaling molecule called TGF-β1 in blood cells from ME/CFS patients and compared them to healthy people and patients with other illnesses. They found that ME/CFS patients had significantly higher levels of TGF-β1 than both groups, suggesting this molecule may play a role in ME/CFS disease development.

Immune System

← Previous Next 20 studies →

Or browse by topic

PEM Immune Neuro Metabolic Biomarkers Severe ME Long COVID Cognitive

Evidence Atlas

Evidence browser

Absence of XMRV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ARV-treatment naïve HIV-1 infected and HIV-1/HCV coinfected individuals and blood donors.

Activation of cell-mediated immunity in depression: association with inflammation, melancholia, clinical staging and the fatigue and somatic symptom cluster of depression.

Absence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in blood donors in China.

Inflammatory and cell-mediated immune biomarkers in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and depression: inflammatory markers are higher in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome than in depression.

Seroprevalence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in normal and retrovirus-infected blood donors.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: acute infection and history of physical activity affect resting levels and response to exercise of plasma oxidant/antioxidant status and heat shock proteins.

Increased IgA and IgM responses against gut commensals in chronic depression: further evidence for increased bacterial translocation or leaky gut.

Temporal ordering of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and non-bladder conditions.

The assessment of the energy metabolism in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome by serum fluorescence emission.

Cognitive deficits in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome compared to those with major depressive disorder and healthy controls.

Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus-associated chronic fatigue syndrome reveals a distinct inflammatory signature.

Prevalence of XMRV nucleic acid and antibody in HIV-1-Infected men and in men at risk for HIV-1 Infection.

Patient-reported outcomes as a source of evidence in off-label prescribing: analysis of data from PatientsLikeMe.

Diagnostic accuracy of symptoms characterising chronic fatigue syndrome.

Absence of detectable xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in plasma or peripheral blood mononuclear cells of human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected blood donors or individuals in Africa.

No Evidence of XMRV or MuLV Sequences in Prostate Cancer, Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, or the UK Blood Donor Population.

Clinical characteristics of patients with medically unexplained chronic widespread pain: a primary care center study.

Increased tenderness in the left third intercostal space in adult patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis: a controlled study.

The role of acceptance in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Up-regulation of TGF-β1 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Curated Collections

Neuroinflammation Evidence

Metabolism & Mitochondria

Biomarkers

PEM-Specific Research