Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) could one day be diagnosed via a blood test, after researchers detected 116 biomarkers that seem to occur in people with the condition.
Also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), CFS commonly causes extreme fatigue, sleep problems and brain fog, with symptoms worsening after exercise or mental activity.
The cause of CFS is unknown. Doctors diagnose it by ruling out other conditions that cause similar symptoms, such as anaemia, an underactive thyroid gland or problems with the liver or kidneys. But many cases are missed or take years to identify. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a complicated disease and there鈥檚 no test,鈥� says at the University of Edinburgh in the UK.
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Now, Ponting and his colleagues have analysed blood samples collected from more than 132,000 people as part of the UK Biobank study, of whom 1455 had been diagnosed with CFS.
They identified 116 markers that differed between people with CFS and those without it, including levels of certain blood cells, fatty molecules and proteins. The team took into account other factors that could influence the results, such as the participants鈥� ages and levels of physical activity.
These markers are involved in processes such as inflammation, blood sugar control and liver disease, says Ponting. It isn鈥檛 known whether the changes to these markers occur before or after someone develops CFS, he says.
Some of them are difficult to measure, so the researchers hope to define a subset of markers that could be inexpensively quantified by many clinics via a blood test, says team member , also at the University of Edinburgh.
This is the largest study of its kind so far, with previous research including fewer than 100 people with CFS, says Ponting. However, the Biobank participants were mainly white, middle-aged and affluent, so further studies are needed to see whether the findings translate to other populations, he says.
鈥淚t is vital to get biomarkers for ME, so Ponting鈥檚 major study is extremely important,鈥� says at the University of Liverpool in the UK. Besides helping with diagnoses, these markers could also give insights into what is causing someone鈥檚 CFS, which may aid treatments, he says.
medRxiv
