Evaluating Routine Blood Tests According to Clinical Symptoms and Diagnostic Criteria in Individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. — CFSMEATLAS
Evaluating Routine Blood Tests According to Clinical Symptoms and Diagnostic Criteria in Individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Baklund, Ingrid H, Dammen, Toril, Moum, Torbjørn Åge et al. · Journal of clinical medicine · 2021 · DOI
Quick Summary
Researchers compared blood test results from 149 ME/CFS patients with 264 healthy people to look for differences. They found that ME/CFS patients had higher levels of inflammation markers and certain blood cells, along with lower potassium and muscle enzyme levels. These differences suggest that ME/CFS may involve both inflammation and possible muscle or metabolic problems.
Why It Matters
This study provides objective laboratory evidence that ME/CFS patients show distinct blood abnormalities compared to healthy individuals, potentially supporting biological validation of the condition. Identifying these patterns may eventually help clinicians recognize ME/CFS through routine blood work and guide future research into disease mechanisms.
Observed Findings
ME/CFS patients had elevated inflammatory markers: sedimentation rate, leukocytes, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes compared to controls.
ME/CFS patients had higher vitamin B12 levels (mean difference: 83.43 pg/mL) and lower potassium levels than controls.
ME/CFS patients showed lower creatine kinase (CK) and creatinine levels, suggesting possible muscle and metabolic abnormalities.
ME/CFS patients had higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared to healthy controls.
Inferred Conclusions
Multiple blood test abnormalities in ME/CFS patients point toward underlying systemic inflammation and immune activation.
Reduced CK and creatinine levels suggest muscle damage and metabolic dysfunction as potential disease mechanisms.
Routine blood work may reveal objective biological markers distinguishing ME/CFS patients from healthy individuals.
Remaining Questions
Do these blood abnormalities persist over time, or do they fluctuate with disease severity and symptom changes?
Are these findings specific to ME/CFS, or do they overlap with other chronic conditions, limiting diagnostic specificity?
What is the mechanistic relationship between these blood test changes and core ME/CFS symptoms like post-exertional malaise?
What This Study Does Not Prove
This study does not prove that these blood test changes cause ME/CFS symptoms or that they are specific to ME/CFS alone. The cross-sectional design cannot establish whether these abnormalities are present before symptom onset or develop as a consequence of illness. Additionally, while differences exist statistically, their clinical significance and diagnostic utility in individual patients remain unclear.