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Potential use of visible and near-infrared spectroscopy for the analysis and diagnosis of CFS

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27430297

Mol Med Rep. 2016 Jul 7. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5476. [Epub ahead of print]
Potential use of visible and near-infrared spectroscopy for the analysis and diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (Review).
Sakudo A1.1Laboratory of Biometabolic Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of The Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903‑0215, Japan.

Abstract

At present, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms.

Although various psychological, endocrinological and immunological abnormalities of patients with CFS have been reported, no clear consensus exists regarding the symptoms for this disorder.

Thus, an objective diagnostic method for CFS is urgently required.

The present study investigated the diagnosis and analysis of CFS using visible and near‑infrared (Vis‑NIR) spectroscopy.

Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of Vis-NIR spectroscopy for diagnosing CFS by analyzing either serum samples as an invasive approach or thumbs as a non‑invasive approach.

Analysis of the Vis‑NIR spectra of blood and thumbs suggested that factors absorbing in this spectral region are altered in patients with CFS compared with healthy individuals.

These findings are likely to facilitate the search for biomarkers associated with CFS and to increase our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disorder.

The current review aimed to outline the latest studies and discuss the future perspectives for CFS made possible by Vis-NIR spectroscopy.

 

Snow Leopard

Hibernating
Messages
5,902
Location
South Australia
Analysis of the Vis‑NIR spectra of blood and thumbs suggested that factors absorbing in this spectral region are altered in patients with CFS compared with healthy individuals.

As someone with a chemistry background, I am quite fond of Vis/IR spectroscopy. However this sort of method will never be sensitive, nor specific enough as a test. (IR can still be used as a detection method - but it will not be a central/necessary component of the test)
 

Hutan

Senior Member
Messages
1,099
Location
New Zealand
This is from the older PR thread re the 2012 paper by Sakudo et al:

"(Fig. 3C). The most prominent discriminating power, which represents
independent variables (wavelengths) important in discriminating two
classes (CFS from healthy) were the sharp peak at around 900 nm and
broad peaks at around 700–800 and 1000–1050 nm (Fig. 3C) .

Oxyhemoglobin has greater absorbance at 850 nm than at 760 nm,
whereas deoxyhemoglobin absorbs more at 760 nm than at 850 nm.
In addition, the ratio of absorbance at 605 nm to 620 nm correlates
with the oxidation of heme a + a 3 in cytochrome c oxidase [28]. Similarly, the ratio of absorbance at 830 nm to 780 nm correlates with the oxidation of copper in cytochrome c oxidase [29]. "

For those of use who don't have cytochrome oxidase's role in energy production at front of mind, I recommend an animation that was posted recently elsewhere here on PR (can't find where just now)
http://www.labroots.com/trending/immunology/3536/immune-system-conserves-energy-altering-metabolism
Scroll down to to where there is a red blob on a yellow background and press the go arrow.

Sakudo has been hammering away at this for quite a while - there was a 2009 paper on this. So he (I presume he is a he) at least must be convinced that there is something worth investigating.

Somewhere else on PR someone recently posted that Navaiux intends to publish a paper in a few months on a biomarker in blood identified with mass spectroscopy - which will presumably be something to do with energy production/mitochondria given that is his specialty.

(I should really check sources and be a bit more precise, but it is late so I shall just spread vague rumours. But it's interesting stuff and gratifying to see Japanese researchers working doggedly on biological causes of ME.)
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
I suspect that the idea of an accurate diagnosis based on a simple infrared scan is far too good to be true! But it would be great if it proves to be possible!