ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

5061–5080 of 6,188 studies

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Investigation of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in human and other cell lines.

Williams, Dhanya K, Galvin, Teresa A, Ma, Hailun et al.·Biologicals : journal of the International Association of Biological Standardization·2011

Researchers tested several types of cells commonly used in laboratories and vaccine development to see if they contained XMRV, a virus that had been suggested as a possible cause of ME/CFS. Using sensitive detection methods, they found no evidence of XMRV in any of the cell lines they tested, which is reassuring for the safety of biological products made from these cells.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Fatigue Scales and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Issues of Sensitivity and Specificity.

Jason, Leonard A, Evans, Meredyth, Brown, Molly et al.·Disability studies quarterly·2011

This study tested different questionnaires and scales designed to measure fatigue in ME/CFS patients to see how well they could identify people with the disease. Researchers found that most common fatigue measurement tools didn't work very well—some were good at spotting sick people but missed others, or vice versa. The most promising tool was a specific question about fatigue that gets worse after physical activity, which is a key feature of ME/CFS.

Diagnostics

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Multi-source synthesis of data to inform health policy.

Pedersen, Vibe Hjelholt, Dagenais, Pierre, Lehoux, Pascale·International journal of technology assessment in health care·2011

This study developed a new way to combine information from published research with direct interviews from ME/CFS patients in Quebec. Researchers reviewed 31 published studies about the emotional and social challenges of ME/CFS, then interviewed 17 patients to see if their experiences matched the research and to identify needs that hadn't been studied before. The study found that patients felt their condition wasn't recognized by doctors and doctors, and suggested policy changes to better support ME/CFS patients.

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM not requiredReview-Narrative

[Regulatory T-cells: modern approaches to optimization of their numbers].

Pukhal'skiĭ, A L, Shmarina, G V, Aleshkin, V A·Vestnik Rossiiskoi akademii meditsinskikh nauk·2011

Your body has special immune cells called regulatory T-cells (Tregs) that normally help control inflammation and keep your immune system balanced. This article explains how long-term stress and aging can disrupt this balance—either causing too many Tregs to build up or too few to develop properly. The authors suggest that when Tregs become imbalanced, it may contribute to conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, while also affecting allergy and cancer risk.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM not requiredEditorial

Will vitamin D supplementation ameliorate diseases characterized by chronic inflammation and fatigue?

Hoeck, Anna Dorothea, Pall, Martin L·Medical hypotheses·2011

This paper proposes that low vitamin D levels may contribute to ME/CFS by allowing harmful inflammatory processes to continue unchecked in the body. Vitamin D normally acts as a brake on inflammation, but only when levels are adequate. The authors suggest that fixing vitamin D deficiency through supplementation might help reduce fatigue and inflammation in ME/CFS, though they acknowledge this theory needs to be tested in actual clinical trials.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Systemic nickel hypersensitivity and diet: myth or reality?

Pizzutelli, S·European annals of allergy and clinical immunology·2011

This review examines whether eating foods containing nickel causes widespread symptoms in people with nickel allergies. While nickel allergies from skin contact are well-established, the evidence that eating nickel-containing foods causes systemic symptoms—like fatigue, digestive problems, or neurological issues—is unclear and unproven. The authors conclude that current scientific evidence is not strong enough to recommend low-nickel diets as a treatment.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

PCR master mixes harbour murine DNA sequences. Caveat emptor!

Tuke, Philip W, Tettmar, Kate I, Tamuri, Asif et al.·PloS one·2011

This study found that the laboratory chemicals used to detect viruses in blood samples may themselves contain mouse virus DNA, which can contaminate test results. When researchers tested water samples (with no actual virus present) using common laboratory kits, they still found mouse virus sequences—the same sequences that had been previously reported in ME/CFS patients. This suggests that previous findings of these viruses in ME/CFS patients may have been false positives caused by contaminated testing materials rather than actual infections.

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Testing strategies for detection of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus infection.

Tang, Shixing, Hewlett, Indira K·Advances in virology·2011

Researchers examined different laboratory methods to detect XMRV, a virus that was suspected to be linked to both prostate cancer and ME/CFS. Since this virus was discovered in 2006, scientists developed various tests to find it in patient samples, but these tests had not been properly validated or compared. The study highlights that careful testing is needed to avoid false results caused by mouse DNA contamination in samples.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Hepatitis C virus enters human peripheral neuroblastoma cells - evidence for extra-hepatic cells sustaining hepatitis C virus penetration.

Bürgel, B, Friesland, M, Koch, A et al.·Journal of viral hepatitis·2011

This study investigated whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) can infect and replicate in nerve cells, since some HCV patients experience fatigue, depression, and memory problems. Researchers tested whether HCV could enter and survive in different types of brain and nerve cells in the laboratory. They found that HCV could enter one type of peripheral nerve cell, but could not replicate in any of the brain or nerve cell types tested.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Sleep and fatigue in mice infected with murine gammaherpesvirus 68.

Olivadoti, Melissa D, Weinberg, Jason B, Toth, Linda A et al.·Brain, behavior, and immunity·2011

Researchers infected mice with a virus similar to one that has been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome in humans. They found that infected mice showed fatigue-like symptoms (reduced activity, altered sleep and body temperature) during the first 1-2 weeks of infection. Notably, when these mice were given a bacterial toxin challenge a month later, they had much stronger and longer-lasting reactions than uninfected mice, suggesting that latent viral infection may make the body oversensitive to future immune challenges.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

A Chinese herbal decoction, Danggui Buxue Tang, improves chronic fatigue syndrome induced by food restriction and forced swimming in rats.

Liu, Ya, Zhang, Hai-Gang, Li, Xiao-Hui·Phytotherapy research : PTR·2011

Researchers tested a traditional Chinese herbal mixture called Danggui Buxue Tang on rats engineered to have chronic fatigue-like symptoms. Rats treated with the herb showed improvements in body weight, physical endurance, and markers of immune function, suggesting the herbal mixture might help reduce fatigue by calming overactive immune responses.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM not requiredCase-Control

Pain neurophysiology education improves cognitions, pain thresholds, and movement performance in people with chronic whiplash: a pilot study.

Van Oosterwijck, Jessica, Nijs, Jo, Meeus, Mira et al.·Journal of rehabilitation research and development·2011

This small study tested whether teaching patients with chronic neck pain from whiplash about how pain works in the body could help them feel better. Six patients received this education, and researchers found that afterward, patients had less fear of movement, used healthier coping strategies, reported less disability, and could move their necks with less pain.

Pain and Sensitization

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM not requiredMethods-Paper

Nucleic Acid, Antibody, and Virus Culture Methods to Detect Xenotropic MLV-Related Virus in Human Blood Samples.

Kearney, M F, Lee, K, Bagni, R K et al.·Advances in virology·2011

Researchers developed sensitive tests to detect a virus called XMRV in blood samples. They used their tests on blood and tissue samples from patients with prostate cancer, but did not find the virus in any of the blood samples they tested. This study shows that while their detection methods work well, XMRV was not present in the patients' blood.

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

XMRV: usage of receptors and potential co-receptors.

Setty, Mohan Kumar Haleyur Giri, Devadas, Krishnakumar, Ragupathy, Viswanath et al.·Virology journal·2011

Scientists studied how a virus called XMRV enters and infects human cells, particularly immune cells. They found that while this virus is known to use one main doorway (called XPR1) to get into cells, it can also use other doorways, including ones normally used by immune system molecules called chemokine receptors. This suggests the virus may be more flexible at infecting different types of cells than previously thought.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearMechanistic

An Etiological Model for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Jason, Leonard A, Sorenson, Matthew, Porter, Nicole et al.·Neuroscience and medicine·2011

This study proposes that ME/CFS may develop through a process called 'kindling,' where the brain becomes increasingly sensitive to stress after repeated infections or injuries. Think of it like a fire alarm that has been triggered so many times it stays in an oversensitive state. Once this happens, the brain's stress system stays highly activated even without new triggers, which could explain why ME/CFS patients have such persistent symptoms.

Neuroinflammation

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredCase-Control

Polymorphisms of adrenergic cardiovascular control genes are associated with adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sommerfeldt, Line, Portilla, Helene, Jacobsen, Line et al.·Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)·2011

This study looked at genetic differences in genes that control how the body responds to stress and manages heart rate and blood pressure in teenagers with ME/CFS. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS were more likely to have certain genetic variations in two specific genes (COMT and the β₂-adrenergic receptor) compared to healthy people. These genetic differences may affect how well the body's autonomic nervous system (which controls automatic body functions) works during physical stress.

Autonomic Nervous System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Polysaccharide of radix pseudostellariae improves chronic fatigue syndrome induced by poly I:C in mice.

Sheng, Rong, Xu, Xianxiang, Tang, Qin et al.·Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM·2011

Researchers tested whether a natural plant compound called polysaccharide from Radix Pseudostellariae (PRP) could help mice recover from fatigue-like symptoms. They found that mice given PRP before being exposed to a virus-like trigger showed less fatigue and better recovery of normal immune and stress hormone function compared to untreated mice.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryBehavioralPEM unclear

Challenges of nurse delivery of psychological interventions for long-term conditions in primary care: a qualitative exploration of the case of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis.

Peters, Sarah, Wearden, Alison, Morriss, Richard et al.·Implementation science : IS·2011

This study looked at what happens when nurses without specialist psychology training deliver talking therapies to ME/CFS patients in regular doctor's offices. Researchers interviewed nurses, their supervisors, and 46 patients to understand the challenges that came up. They found four main problems: nurses were new to doing therapy work, patients were sometimes reluctant to engage with the treatment approach, nurses struggled with managing emotional conversations, and the primary care setting itself created complications.

E3 PreliminaryCommentaryPEM unclearEditorial

Chronic fatigue syndrome--a neuroimmunological model.

Arnett, S V, Alleva, L M, Korossy-Horwood, R et al.·Medical hypotheses·2011

This review suggests that ME/CFS may develop when the body has trouble controlling infections early on, leading to long-term inflammation in the brain. The authors propose that this inflammatory process—involving both the immune system and the nervous system—could explain many ME/CFS symptoms and why more women are affected than men. They also suggest that anti-inflammatory treatments targeting a protein called TNF might help patients.

NeuroinflammationImmune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Functional genomics of serotonin receptor 2A (HTR2A): interaction of polymorphism, methylation, expression and disease association.

Falkenberg, Virginia R, Gurbaxani, Brian M, Unger, Elizabeth R et al.·Neuromolecular medicine·2011

This study looked at how a specific genetic variation in the serotonin receptor 2A gene (HTR2A) affects how active this gene is in people with ME/CFS. The researchers found that this gene is turned up (overactive) in ME/CFS patients, and that this overactivity is influenced by both the genetic variant someone inherits and how stress hormones like cortisol affect the gene's activity. Think of it like a volume knob on a radio that can be turned up or down depending on your genes and stress levels.

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Investigation of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in human and other cell lines.

Fatigue Scales and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Issues of Sensitivity and Specificity.

Multi-source synthesis of data to inform health policy.

[Regulatory T-cells: modern approaches to optimization of their numbers].

Will vitamin D supplementation ameliorate diseases characterized by chronic inflammation and fatigue?

Systemic nickel hypersensitivity and diet: myth or reality?

PCR master mixes harbour murine DNA sequences. Caveat emptor!

Testing strategies for detection of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus infection.

Hepatitis C virus enters human peripheral neuroblastoma cells - evidence for extra-hepatic cells sustaining hepatitis C virus penetration.

Sleep and fatigue in mice infected with murine gammaherpesvirus 68.

A Chinese herbal decoction, Danggui Buxue Tang, improves chronic fatigue syndrome induced by food restriction and forced swimming in rats.

Pain neurophysiology education improves cognitions, pain thresholds, and movement performance in people with chronic whiplash: a pilot study.

Nucleic Acid, Antibody, and Virus Culture Methods to Detect Xenotropic MLV-Related Virus in Human Blood Samples.

XMRV: usage of receptors and potential co-receptors.

An Etiological Model for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Polymorphisms of adrenergic cardiovascular control genes are associated with adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome.

Polysaccharide of radix pseudostellariae improves chronic fatigue syndrome induced by poly I:C in mice.

Challenges of nurse delivery of psychological interventions for long-term conditions in primary care: a qualitative exploration of the case of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalitis.

Chronic fatigue syndrome--a neuroimmunological model.

Functional genomics of serotonin receptor 2A (HTR2A): interaction of polymorphism, methylation, expression and disease association.

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