ME/CFS Evidence Browser — Classified Studies on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

641–660 of 1,198 studies

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The Gut-Brain-Immune Axis in Environmental Sensitivity Illnesses: Microbiome-Centered Narrative Review of Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Watai, Kentaro, Taniguchi, Masami, Azuma, Kenichi·International journal of molecular sciences·2025

This review examines how changes in gut bacteria may contribute to ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivity—three conditions that share similar symptoms like fatigue, pain, and sensitivity to environmental triggers. The researchers found that people with these conditions tend to have fewer helpful bacteria and more harmful bacteria in their gut, which may affect how their immune system and brain work. The review suggests that treatments targeting the microbiome—such as probiotics or other interventions—might help, though more research is needed to confirm this.

NeuroinflammationEnergy MetabolismImmune System

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCross-Sectional

Prevalence of EBV, HHV6, HCMV, HAdV, SARS-CoV-2, and Autoantibodies to Type I Interferon in Sputum from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.

Hannestad, Ulf, Allard, Annika, Nilsson, Kent et al.·Viruses·2025

This study tested sputum (saliva and mucus) samples from ME/CFS patients and healthy people to look for viruses and signs of immune dysfunction. Researchers found that ME/CFS patients had significantly higher levels of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) compared to controls, but surprisingly, most people carried human herpesvirus 6 at similar levels. The study suggests that ME/CFS patients may have trouble fighting off viruses, but this isn't simply due to the immune system attacking itself.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Causal Relationship Between Diet, Lipids, Immune Cells, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Two-Mediation Mendelian Randomization Study.

Li, Jixu, Qin, Qi, Zhu, Yiran et al.·Food science & nutrition·2025

This study explored whether diet, cholesterol levels, and immune cell changes might contribute to ME/CFS development. Researchers found that eating cheese and pork, and avoiding alcohol and spicy food, may protect against ME/CFS, possibly by improving cholesterol profiles. The study suggests that certain types of cholesterol and immune cell changes may influence ME/CFS risk, creating a potential chain linking food choices to immune health to fatigue development.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Precision Medicine Study of Post-Exertional Malaise Epigenetic Changes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Patients During Exercise.

Sharma, Sayan, Hodges, Lynette D, Peppercorn, Katie et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2025

This study looked at how exercise affects the chemical switches on our genes (epigenetics) in ME/CFS patients, particularly during post-exertional malaise (PEM)—the exhaustion that worsens after physical activity. Researchers took blood samples from five ME/CFS patients before, immediately after, and 24-48 hours after an exercise test, and found distinct patterns of genetic changes that were specific to ME/CFS patients and not seen in healthy controls. These changes affected genes related to immune function, inflammation, and blood vessel health, suggesting the body's response to exercise in ME/CFS is fundamentally different at the molecular level.

BiomarkersImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM unclearObservational

Plasma cell targeting with the anti-CD38 antibody daratumumab in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-a clinical pilot study.

Fluge, Øystein, Rekeland, Ingrid Gurvin, Sørland, Kari et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2025

Researchers tested a drug called daratumumab that targets specific immune cells (plasma cells) in 10 ME/CFS patients to see if removing these cells could improve symptoms. Six patients experienced significant improvement in fatigue, physical function, and daily activity levels after treatment, while four showed no major changes. The drug was well-tolerated with no serious side effects, and improvements were sustained over 8-24 months of follow-up.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Advocating the role of trained immunity in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS: a mini review.

Humer, Bart, Dik, Willem A, Versnel, Marjan A·Frontiers in immunology·2025

This review explores how a single severe infection might trigger long-term changes in the immune system that could lead to ME/CFS. After infection, immune cells can become 'trained' to overreact to future triggers, potentially causing the chronic symptoms patients experience. The researchers suggest this overactive immune response might explain why about 60% of ME/CFS patients remember getting sick before their symptoms started.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryCohortPEM unclearCase-Control

HERV Dysregulation in a Case of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis Responsive to Rituximab.

Martín-Martínez, Eva, Gil-Perotin, Sara, Giménez-Orenga, Karen et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2025

This study describes one patient who had ME/CFS and was later diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Doctors discovered that his blood had unusual patterns of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs)—ancient viral-like sequences in our DNA that can sometimes affect immune function. Importantly, this patient improved significantly after receiving rituximab, a treatment that modifies the immune system, even though standard treatments had not worked for him.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Deep Immunophenotyping in ME/CFS Using Spectral Flow Cytometry.

Gibson, Anton, Chometon, Thaize Q, Damani, Tanvi et al.·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

Researchers developed a new laboratory technique to examine immune cells in the blood of ME/CFS patients in much greater detail than previously possible. Using advanced flow cytometry, they simultaneously measured over 40 different markers on individual immune cells, allowing them to create a detailed map of immune system abnormalities in ME/CFS. This technique is like upgrading from a simple photograph to a high-resolution image, revealing much more about how immune cells are behaving.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM requiredReview-Narrative

Mechanistic Insights Into Long Covid: Viral Persistence, Immune Dysregulation, and Multi-Organ Dysfunction.

Gupta, Gautam, Buonsenso, Danilo, Wood, John et al.·Comprehensive Physiology·2025

This review examines how Long Covid causes persistent symptoms affecting multiple body systems. The research suggests that SARS-CoV-2 virus may hide in body tissues, trigger ongoing immune problems, and damage how cells produce energy, which could explain fatigue and post-exertion crashes. These mechanisms appear similar to ME/CFS, suggesting the two conditions may share common biological pathways.

NeuroinflammationImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredMechanistic

Gulf War Illness Induced Sex-Specific Transcriptional Differences Under Stressful Conditions.

Frank, Joshua, Tehrani, Lily, Gamer, Jackson et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2025

Researchers studied how the immune system responds to physical stress in Gulf War veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI), a condition similar to ME/CFS with fatigue, brain fog, and exhaustion. They found that men and women with GWI have different patterns of immune system activation during and after exercise, suggesting their bodies handle stress differently. These differences could help doctors develop better tests and treatments tailored to each person's sex.

BiomarkersImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Mucosal Viruses in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle?

Perera, Krishani Dinali, Cameron, Paige, Sarwar, Tayyibah et al.·International journal of molecular sciences·2025

Many people with ME/CFS report that their illness started after a viral infection, but scientists haven't found clear evidence of viruses in their blood. This review suggests researchers have been looking in the wrong places—focusing on blood instead of mucosal tissues (like the throat and gut lining) where viruses naturally enter the body and may hide. The authors propose that viruses could be persisting in these mucosal sites and occasionally reactivating, potentially triggering the ongoing inflammation and symptoms that characterize ME/CFS.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Autoantibody targeting therapies in post COVID syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Wohlrab, Felix, Eltity, Mailam, Ufer, Friederike et al.·Expert opinion on biological therapy·2025

This article reviews how certain immune system proteins called autoantibodies—which the body mistakenly makes against itself—may contribute to both long COVID and ME/CFS. The authors discuss different treatment approaches that aim to reduce or neutralize these harmful autoantibodies. This editorial examines the current evidence and potential of these new therapies to help patients with these conditions.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

Direct effects of prolonged TNF-α and IL-6 exposure on neural activity in human iPSC-derived neuron-astrocyte co-cultures.

Goshi, Noah, Lam, Doris, Bogguri, Chandrakumar et al.·Frontiers in cellular neuroscience·2025

This study looked at how two inflammatory chemicals (TNF-α and IL-6) that are elevated in ME/CFS and long-COVID patients affect brain cells. Researchers grew human brain cells in the lab and exposed them to these chemicals for several days. They found that these inflammatory chemicals changed how the brain cells communicate with each other, which could help explain why patients experience cognitive problems like brain fog and difficulty concentrating.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredObservational

Cytokine profiles associated with persisting symptoms of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

Kwon, Ji-Soo, Chang, Euijin, Jang, Hyeon Mu et al.·The Korean journal of internal medicine·2025

After COVID-19, some people develop long-lasting symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and difficulty exercising—a condition called long COVID or PASC. This study measured immune system markers (called cytokines) in the blood of 79 people and found that certain symptoms were linked to higher levels of specific immune proteins, suggesting the immune system may stay overactive in some long COVID patients.

Immune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredCase-Control

Large-scale investigation confirms TRPM3 ion channel dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Sasso, Etianne Martini, Er, Teagan S, Eaton-Fitch, Natalie et al.·Frontiers in medicine·2025

This study examined a specific ion channel called TRPM3 in immune cells from people with ME/CFS compared to healthy individuals. Researchers at two different laboratories found that TRPM3 channels work differently in ME/CFS patients—they're less active than in healthy people. Because both labs got the same results independently, this suggests TRPM3 dysfunction could be a reliable biological marker for ME/CFS.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM requiredPreprintPreprint

Heightened innate immunity may trigger chronic inflammation, fatigue and post-exertional malaise in ME/CFS.

Che, Xiaoyu, Ranjan, Amit, Guo, Cheng et al.·medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2025

This study found that people with ME/CFS may have an overactive immune system that responds too strongly to germs and infections. The research showed problems with how the body produces energy and manages inflammation, and these problems got worse after exercise in ME/CFS patients but not in healthy people. The findings suggest multiple biological systems are working abnormally in ME/CFS, which could help doctors develop better treatments.

Energy MetabolismImmune SystemPost-Exertional Malaise

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

The origin of autoimmune diseases: is there a role for ancestral HLA-II haplotypes in immune hyperactivity.

Ruiz-Pablos, Manuel, Paiva, Bruno, Zabaleta, Aintzane·Frontiers in immunology·2025

This review examines how certain genes related to immune system recognition (HLA genes) might make some people more susceptible to autoimmune diseases and conditions like ME/CFS. These genes were originally helpful in protecting our ancestors from infections, but in today's environment they may cause the immune system to overreact. The authors suggest that modern stressors like infections, vaccines, and obesity might trigger this hyperactive immune response in people carrying these genes.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryReviewPEM unclearReview-Narrative

Core features and inherent diversity of post-acute infection syndromes.

Trautmann, Alain·Frontiers in immunology·2025

This review examines post-acute infection syndromes—long-lasting illnesses that develop after infections don't fully resolve, including ME/CFS. These conditions share common core symptoms like extreme fatigue, brain fog, sleep problems, and pain, but can also include many other varied symptoms that come and go over months or years. The authors propose that these illnesses arise from a combination of persistent infection traces, immune system problems, mitochondrial dysfunction, and changes in how the brain processes body signals, with individual differences determining which symptoms appear.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryMechanismPEM not requiredMechanistic

HLA and pathogens in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and other post-infection conditions.

Georgopoulos, Apostolos P, James, Lisa M, Peterson, Philip K·Scientific reports·2025

This study explores why some people develop ME/CFS after viral infections while others don't. Researchers looked at immune system genes (HLA types) and tested how well they recognize and fight nine common human herpes viruses. They found that people with certain HLA types have weak immune recognition of these viruses, potentially allowing the viruses to persist and cause ME/CFS, while people with other HLA types have strong recognition and protection.

Immune System

E3 PreliminaryDiagnosticPEM unclearMethods-Paper

Quantitative Proteomics on Immune Cells of ME/CFS Patients Using SWATH-MS.

Kumar, Abhishek, Peppercorn, Katie, Kleffmann, Torsten·Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)·2025

This study describes a detailed scientific method for examining proteins in immune cells taken from the blood of ME/CFS patients. Researchers used advanced technology called SWATH-MS (a type of mass spectrometry) to identify and measure thousands of proteins at once. The paper explains the step-by-step process they used so that other researchers can use the same method to find protein abnormalities in ME/CFS.

Immune System

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The Gut-Brain-Immune Axis in Environmental Sensitivity Illnesses: Microbiome-Centered Narrative Review of Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Prevalence of EBV, HHV6, HCMV, HAdV, SARS-CoV-2, and Autoantibodies to Type I Interferon in Sputum from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Patients.

Causal Relationship Between Diet, Lipids, Immune Cells, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Two-Mediation Mendelian Randomization Study.

Precision Medicine Study of Post-Exertional Malaise Epigenetic Changes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Patients During Exercise.

Plasma cell targeting with the anti-CD38 antibody daratumumab in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome-a clinical pilot study.

Advocating the role of trained immunity in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS: a mini review.

HERV Dysregulation in a Case of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis Responsive to Rituximab.

Deep Immunophenotyping in ME/CFS Using Spectral Flow Cytometry.

Mechanistic Insights Into Long Covid: Viral Persistence, Immune Dysregulation, and Multi-Organ Dysfunction.

Gulf War Illness Induced Sex-Specific Transcriptional Differences Under Stressful Conditions.

Mucosal Viruses in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle?

Autoantibody targeting therapies in post COVID syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Direct effects of prolonged TNF-α and IL-6 exposure on neural activity in human iPSC-derived neuron-astrocyte co-cultures.

Cytokine profiles associated with persisting symptoms of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19.

Large-scale investigation confirms TRPM3 ion channel dysfunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Heightened innate immunity may trigger chronic inflammation, fatigue and post-exertional malaise in ME/CFS.

The origin of autoimmune diseases: is there a role for ancestral HLA-II haplotypes in immune hyperactivity.

Core features and inherent diversity of post-acute infection syndromes.

HLA and pathogens in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and other post-infection conditions.

Quantitative Proteomics on Immune Cells of ME/CFS Patients Using SWATH-MS.

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