Up to 80,000 people in Austria are estimated to suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME/CFS or myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. The number of ME/CFS patients is expected to rise drastically due to long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, research in the field has neither identified mechanisms of disease onset nor causal treatment approaches. Scientists at MedUni Vienna have now identified possible biomarkers that could improve the diagnosis and treatment of long-lasting and debilitating fatigue. The study has recently been published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
The study by Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber and her team from MedUni Vienna’s Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology builds on earlier research on immune disorders and the intestinal barrier function in patients with ME/CFS. It is well known that ME/CFS patients often differ greatly in the clinical manifestations of their disease. However, despite intensive research, there is still no measurable parameter (biomarker) that clearly indicates the disease.
As the MedUni Vienna research team shows, ME/CFS patients can be divided into subgroups based on the function of their immune system. The study was able to identify various biomarkers in the patients that indicate immune system disorders or reduced intestinal barrier function. As a result, differences relevant to clinical care were identified in ME/CFS patients that would have remained undetected without the previous immunological stratification of the ME/CFS patient group.
In our study, we see that the immunological evaluation of ME/CFS patients is of crucial importance. Patients suffering from immunodeficiencies are