We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Luminex Corporation

Luminex develops, manufactures, and markets biological testing technologies with applications in clinical diagnostics... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




Low Levels of Immune Molecules Found in ME/CFS

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 21 Apr 2017
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling disorder with complex features that can include fatigue, memory and concentration deficits.

The diagnosis of ME/CFS is largely based on recognition of signs and symptoms including sleep disturbances, headache, joint and muscle pain, post-exertional malaise, and gastrointestinal and immune system dysfunction lasting for six months or more.

Scientists from Columbia University and their colleagues performed immunoassays to measure 51 immune biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid of 32 people with classical CFS, and another 27 with atypical CFS. More...
The NIH cases were between the ages of 18 and 70 years and met both the 1994 CDC Fukuda criteria. The CFI cohort cases were between the ages of 18 and 65 years and met either or both of the 1994 CDC Fukuda criteria.

For cytokine analysis the plasma concentrations of the immune molecules were determined using a magnetic bead–based 51-plex immunoassay. Mean fluorescence intensities of analyte-specific immunoassay bead sets were detected by flow-based Luminex 3D suspension array system.

The team found that the tests showed lower levels of immune molecules in those with atypical CFS than in those with the classical variant. The analyses revealed drastically lower levels of interleukin 7, a protein that plays a key role in the adaptive immune response to infections, interleukin 17A, and chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9), molecules with a key role in the adaptive immunity to neurological illnesses. Analyses based on disease duration revealed that early ME/CFS cases had a prominent activation of both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines as well as dissociation of intercytokine regulatory networks. They found a stronger correlation of cytokine alterations with illness duration than with measures of illness severity.

Mady Hornig, MD, a professor and lead author of the study, said, “We now have biological evidence that the triggers for ME/CFS may involve distinct pathways to disease, or, in some cases, predispose individuals to the later development of serious comorbidities. Importantly, our results suggest that these early biomarker profiles may be detectable soon after diagnosis of ME/CFS, laying a foundation for better understanding of and treatments for this complex and poorly understood illness.” The study was published on April 4, 2017, in the journal Translational Psychiatry.


Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
Collection and Transport System
PurSafe Plus®
New
Silver Member
PCR Plates
Diamond Shell PCR Plates
New
Autoimmune Liver Diseases Assay
Microblot-Array Liver Profile Kit
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Conceptual design of the CORAL capsule for microbial sampling in the small intestine (H. Mohammed et al., Device (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.device.2025.100904)

Coral-Inspired Capsule Samples Hidden Bacteria from Small Intestine

The gut microbiome has been linked to conditions ranging from immune disorders to mental health, yet conventional stool tests often fail to capture bacterial populations in the small intestine.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.