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Miriam E. Tucker: Biomarker Research Advances in 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome'

Cheshire

Senior Member
Messages
1,129
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — New research adds to growing evidence that the illness commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome is biologically based, researchers report here at the International Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (IACFSME) research and clinical conference. Some of the abnormalities identified suggest potential clinical diagnostic tests and targeted treatments.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/871552
 

Sidereal

Senior Member
Messages
4,856
Another study, presented by Kenny L. DeMeirleir, MD, PhD, medical director of the Nevada Center for Biomedical Research in Reno, Nevada, involved 70 male and 70 female patients with ME/CFS and the same numbers of matched sedentary control participants. His team uncovered significant differences for four specific immune/inflammatory markers in venous blood samples (prostaglandin E2, interleukin 8, soluble CD14 [a surrogate marker for bacterial lipopolysaccharide], and CD57+ lymphocytes; P < .001 for each).

As a panel, the four markers correctly classified 89.5% of the males and 97.1% of the females with ME/CFS, as defined by published criteria.

Dr DeMeirleir told Medscape Medical News that he has since collected data for many more samples, and the results have held up. He also said that the panel is being used clinically to diagnose ME/CFS in his native Belgium.

Commenting on the paper in his address, Dr Komaroff called the findings "encouraging, because we need an accurate diagnostic test." However, he also cautioned that before the panel can become widely commercialized, it must first be reproduced in multiple labs, and further study must document that the results distinguish patients with ME/CFS from those with other chronic fatiguing conditions such as multiple sclerosis or lupus. And, he added, "it must be inexpensive."
 

Sidereal

Senior Member
Messages
4,856
In addition, in an "unbiased" metabolomics study using mass spectrometry, metabolites that differed most between 17 patients with ME/CFS and 15 healthy participants involved pathways harvesting energy from glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids.

The finding, suggestive of a general hypometabolic state, corresponds to another recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The specific metabolites differed between the two studies, but, Dr Komaroff said, "it's consistent. It says that some types of metabolic pathways are downregulated in this illness, whereas others like those involving immunity and inflammation are upregulated."
 

Never Give Up

Collecting improvements, until there's a cure.
Messages
971
This one is currently the Medscape article most popular with physicians. Let's give it and her other 2 recent articles more traffic, they will be more visible and more likely to be read.