Mar 20, 2016
Three separate research teams from Canada, the UK, and Australia have recently published their findings of significant new bio-markers for ME/CFS. Bio-markers are biological substances that can be collected from patients and measured in the laboratory to indicate the presence of disease.
Firstly, a team from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada) has found certain immune molecules (cytokines IL-1α, 6 and 8) at altered levels in ME/CFS patients. Their preliminary results suggest that these cytokines “may serve as robust biomarkers, independent of age, in screening for ME/CFS”.
Full report: http://bmcimmunol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12865-016-0142-3
Secondly, researchers from St George´s University of London have discovered “altered microRNA expression in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of CFS/ME patients, which are potential diagnostic biomarkers”. They found the greatest degree of microRNA function in Natural Killer cells (a type of white blood cell) which is consistent with the immune dysfunction typically found in ME/CFS patients.
Full report: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150904
Thirdly, not to be outdone, researchers from the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED) at Griffith University, Queensland Australia, have announced a new screening test for ME/CFS and are actively looking for commercial partners to develop and market the test.
The NCNED press release: https://app.secure.griffith.edu.au/news/2016/03/01/screening-test-for-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-on-its-way
A news report on the NCNED work: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-10/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-new-diagnostic-tool/7236182