ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

4181–4200 of 6,188 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Proposed subtypes of post-COVID-19 syndrome (or long-COVID) and their respective potential therapies.

Yong, Shin Jie, Liu, Shiliang·Reviews in medical virology·2022

This review examines long COVID (persistent symptoms lasting months after COVID-19 infection) and proposes that it comes in six different subtypes, one of which is ME/CFS-like illness. The authors describe the symptoms and potential treatments for each subtype, helping doctors and patients better understand which type of long COVID a person might have. This framework could help lead to more targeted treatments since different subtypes may need different approaches.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Commonalities in the Features of Cancer and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): Evidence for Stress-Induced Phenotype Instability?

Rusin, Andrej, Seymour, Colin, Cocchetto, Alan et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2022

This review compares ME/CFS with cancer-related fatigue, two conditions that share similar exhaustion symptoms. The authors examined research showing that both conditions may involve problems with stress hormones, immune system inflammation, energy production in cells, and genetic factors. They suggest these two different diseases might actually represent different points on a spectrum of how the body responds to stress, rather than being completely separate conditions.

Energy Metabolism

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Circadian rhythm disruption in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Implications for the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

McCarthy, Michael J·Brain, behavior, & immunity - health·2022

This review examines whether disrupted body clocks (circadian rhythms) contribute to ME/CFS symptoms like fatigue, sleep problems, and cognitive difficulties. The authors focus on a specific immune molecule called TGFB that may interfere with the body's natural daily rhythms. They suggest that COVID-19 infections may cause similar circadian disruptions, potentially explaining why some people develop long COVID symptoms that resemble ME/CFS.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Decreased NO production in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from ME/CFS patients.

Bertinat, Romina, Villalobos-Labra, Roberto, Hofmann, Lidija et al.·Vascular pharmacology·2022

This study looked at how blood from ME/CFS patients affects the inner lining of blood vessels in a laboratory setting. Researchers found that blood vessels exposed to ME/CFS patient blood produced less of a substance called nitric oxide, which is important for healthy blood vessel function. This suggests that problems with blood vessel health in ME/CFS patients may involve reduced nitric oxide production.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Identification of transient receptor potential melastatin 3 proteotypic peptides employing an efficient membrane protein extraction method for natural killer cells.

Magawa, Chandi T, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie, Balinas, Cassandra et al.·Frontiers in physiology·2022

Researchers developed a better way to extract and study proteins from immune cells called natural killer cells in ME/CFS patients. They focused on a specific protein channel called TRPM3, which may play a role in ME/CFS. This study shows they can now reliably detect this protein, which opens the door for future research to understand how it might be different in ME/CFS.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Tissue specific signature of HHV-6 infection in ME/CFS.

Kasimir, Francesca, Toomey, Danny, Liu, Zheng et al.·Frontiers in molecular biosciences·2022

This study looked for signs of active HHV-6 virus (a common herpesvirus) in brain and spinal cord tissue from ME/CFS patients after death, compared to people without ME/CFS. Using a special detection technique, researchers found markers of active viral infection in the nervous tissue of ME/CFS patients but not in the control group. This suggests that HHV-6 may be reactivating specifically in the brain and nervous system in ME/CFS, rather than in the blood where it's usually tested.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM requiredEditorial

[Facts and myths about chronic fatigue syndrome].

Fink, Per, Skjernov, Mathias, Petersen, Line Kirkeby et al.·Ugeskrift for laeger·2022

This article discusses updates to ME/CFS treatment guidelines and challenges some common beliefs about the condition. The authors argue that new guidelines recommend against intense exercise programs for severely ill patients and suggest energy management instead, but they question whether the evidence supporting these changes was properly evaluated. They raise concerns about how the new guidelines were developed and what type of evidence was considered.

Severe MEPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Muscle sodium content in patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Petter, Elisabeth, Scheibenbogen, Carmen, Linz, Peter et al.·Journal of translational medicine·2022

Researchers used a special type of MRI scan to measure sodium levels in the leg muscles of ME/CFS patients and healthy people. They found that ME/CFS patients had higher sodium buildup in their muscles both at rest and after exercise, and this sodium overload was linked to weaker grip strength. This suggests that muscles in ME/CFS may not be handling sodium properly, which could contribute to fatigue and muscle pain.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

The Pathobiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Case for Neuroglial Failure.

Renz-Polster, Herbert, Tremblay, Marie-Eve, Bienzle, Dorothee et al.·Frontiers in cellular neuroscience·2022

This study suggests that ME/CFS might be caused by problems with certain support cells in the brain called glia, which help protect and maintain nerve cells. The researchers reviewed existing research on two key ME/CFS symptoms—feeling worse after activity and reduced blood flow to the brain—and found evidence that brain cell dysfunction could explain many of the different problems seen in ME/CFS.

NeuroinflammationPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Experiences of pain in paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a single-centre qualitative study.

Serafimova, Teona, Ascough, Caitlin, Parslow, Roxanne Morin et al.·BMJ paediatrics open·2022

This study explored how children with ME/CFS experience pain by interviewing 13 young people (average age 15). Researchers found that pain is very common, highly varied, and significantly impacts daily life—affecting physical activity, eating, schooling, and mental health. Most importantly, the children reported that current treatments don't work well, highlighting an urgent need for better pain management options.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearLongitudinal

Dynamic Epigenetic Changes during a Relapse and Recovery Cycle in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Helliwell, Amber M, Stockwell, Peter A, Edgar, Christina D et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2022

This study looked at how a person's DNA changes during ME/CFS relapses by examining two patients' genetic material multiple times over several months as they experienced a relapse and recovery. The researchers found that during relapses, the patients' DNA showed much larger changes in a process called methylation (a chemical marking system that controls which genes are active) compared to healthy people. These changes affected genes involved in metabolism, immune function, and inflammation—processes that are important in ME/CFS.

E3 PreliminaryGuidelinePEM requiredGuideline

[Recommendation for standardized medical care for children and adolescents with long COVID].

Töpfner, Nicole, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Pädiatrische Infektiologie e. V. (DGPI), Alberer, Martin et al.·Monatsschrift Kinderheilkunde : Organ der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Kinderheilkunde·2022

This guideline provides doctors with expert recommendations for recognizing and treating long COVID in children and teenagers. It includes screening questions and step-by-step evaluation tools to help identify long COVID cases, as well as guidance on how different medical specialists should work together to care for affected young people. The recommendations are based on the best available evidence, though more research is still needed.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

New Clinical Phenotype of the Post-Covid Syndrome: Fibromyalgia and Joint Hypermobility Condition.

Gavrilova, Natalia, Soprun, Lidiia, Lukashenko, Maria et al.·Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology·2022

This study describes a pattern found in some people who developed fibromyalgia (widespread pain) after COVID-19 infection. The researchers noticed that young women with loose, flexible joints who had COVID-19 and a specific tendon injury were more likely to develop fibromyalgia along with signs of inflammation. The study presents three patient cases that fit this pattern, suggesting COVID-19 may trigger fibromyalgia in people whose connective tissues are already prone to damage.

Immune SystemLong COVID Overlap

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

Aberrations in the Cross-Talks Among Redox, Nuclear Factor-κB, and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Signaling Underpin Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Maes, Michael, Kubera, Marta, Kotańska, Magdalena·Frontiers in psychiatry·2022

This study examined proteins and metabolites in ME/CFS patients to understand how the disease works at a molecular level. Researchers found that ME/CFS involves problems with three interconnected cellular systems: how cells handle harmful oxidative stress, how the immune system responds through inflammation, and how cells communicate through a pathway called Wnt/β-catenin. The study suggests ME/CFS may be triggered by various causes—like infections or toxic exposures—but they all damage these same three systems.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Exosome-associated mitochondrial DNA from patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome stimulates human microglia to release IL-1β.

Tsilioni, Irene, Natelson, Benjamin, Theoharides, Theoharis C·The European journal of neuroscience·2022

This study found that after exercise, patients with ME/CFS have more pieces of DNA from their mitochondria (the energy-producing parts of cells) floating in their blood inside tiny particles called exosomes. When researchers tested these exosomes on immune cells in the lab, they triggered the release of IL-1β, a chemical that causes inflammation in the brain. This suggests that exercise might trigger a chain reaction involving these DNA-carrying particles that could contribute to ME/CFS symptoms.

NeuroinflammationImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The contested meaning of "long COVID" - Patients, doctors, and the politics of subjective evidence.

Roth, Phillip H, Gadebusch-Bondio, Mariacarla·Social science & medicine (1982)·2022

This study examines how patients created and spread the term "long COVID" by sharing their personal experiences online, which eventually led doctors and health officials to recognize it as a real condition. The researchers compare this process to how ME/CFS patients have struggled for recognition over decades, showing that social media and patient voices can shape how medicine understands and responds to complex illnesses.

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Late-Onset Hypogonadism in a Male Patient with Long COVID Diagnosed by Exclusion of ME/CFS.

Soejima, Yoshiaki, Otsuka, Yuki, Tokumasu, Kazuki et al.·Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)·2022

This case report describes a 36-year-old man who had persistent fatigue after COVID-19 infection. Doctors discovered he had abnormally low testosterone levels and pituitary gland problems, which can cause fatigue and other symptoms. After treatment with traditional herbal medicine, his fatigue improved along with his hormone levels and gland function.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Perspective: Drawing on Findings From Critical Illness to Explain Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Stanculescu, Dominic, Bergquist, Jonas·Frontiers in medicine·2022

This paper suggests that ME/CFS might develop through similar biological problems seen in people with severe critical illnesses. The researchers propose that four interconnected issues—reduced blood flow to tissues, damage to the gut lining, problems with pituitary gland function, and low thyroid hormone activity—could work together to create a cycle that keeps ME/CFS going. Understanding these connections could help develop better treatments.

Post-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

[Long COVID: Is it really myalgic encephalomyelitis? Bibliographic review and considerations].

Espinosa Rodríguez, P, Martínez Aguilar, A, Ripoll Muñoz, M P et al.·Semergen·2022

This review examines whether long COVID (prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 infection) might actually be myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS). The authors found striking similarities between long COVID symptoms and the diagnostic criteria used to identify ME/CFS. They recommend that patients with ongoing symptoms after COVID-19 receive blood tests, chest imaging, and long-term medical follow-up to monitor for potential chronic illness development.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM not requiredCase-Control

Reducing fatigue-related symptoms in Long COVID-19: a preliminary report of a lymphatic drainage intervention.

Heald, Adrian, Perrin, Raymond, Walther, Andreas et al.·Cardiovascular endocrinology & metabolism·2022

This small study looked at whether a hands-on technique called the Perrin technique—involving gentle massage and movement exercises—could help reduce fatigue in people with Long COVID. Twenty patients received weekly treatment sessions and did daily self-massage at home. On average, both men and women reported about 50% improvement in their fatigue-related symptoms after treatment. While these early results are encouraging, the study is too small to prove this treatment works for everyone.

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Evidence browser

Proposed subtypes of post-COVID-19 syndrome (or long-COVID) and their respective potential therapies.

Commonalities in the Features of Cancer and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS): Evidence for Stress-Induced Phenotype Instability?

Circadian rhythm disruption in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Implications for the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

Decreased NO production in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from ME/CFS patients.

Identification of transient receptor potential melastatin 3 proteotypic peptides employing an efficient membrane protein extraction method for natural killer cells.

Tissue specific signature of HHV-6 infection in ME/CFS.

[Facts and myths about chronic fatigue syndrome].

Muscle sodium content in patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The Pathobiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Case for Neuroglial Failure.

Experiences of pain in paediatric chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a single-centre qualitative study.

Dynamic Epigenetic Changes during a Relapse and Recovery Cycle in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

[Recommendation for standardized medical care for children and adolescents with long COVID].

New Clinical Phenotype of the Post-Covid Syndrome: Fibromyalgia and Joint Hypermobility Condition.

Aberrations in the Cross-Talks Among Redox, Nuclear Factor-κB, and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Signaling Underpin Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Exosome-associated mitochondrial DNA from patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome stimulates human microglia to release IL-1β.

The contested meaning of "long COVID" - Patients, doctors, and the politics of subjective evidence.

Late-Onset Hypogonadism in a Male Patient with Long COVID Diagnosed by Exclusion of ME/CFS.

Perspective: Drawing on Findings From Critical Illness to Explain Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

[Long COVID: Is it really myalgic encephalomyelitis? Bibliographic review and considerations].

Reducing fatigue-related symptoms in Long COVID-19: a preliminary report of a lymphatic drainage intervention.

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