A gene signature for post-infectious chronic fatigue syndrome — non-technical summary
A major problem in the diagnosis of ME/CFS is that there are no reliable markers for the disease; that is, there are no clinical or laboratory measurements that can be used to determine whether an individual has ME/CFS or not. However, genetics is one field in which there is the potential to discover a signature for the disease that can be used in diagnosis.
We used DNA chip microarray technology to measure the expression of 39,000 genes across the whole human genome. This provides information on which genes (information inherited from our parents) are active and therefore involved in the creation of specific proteins which can be used in the body.
We identified 366 genes with altered levels of expression in patients with post-infectious chronic fatigue, compared with healthy controls. These genes are involved mainly in the immune system, oxidative stress and apoptosis (all of which have been reported to be abnormal in ME/CFS). It may be possible to use these genes as a signature that could aid in the diagnosis of ME/CFS.
