Lihan Zhang, John Gough, David Christmas, Derek L Mattey, Selwyn C M Richards, Janice Main, Derek Enlander, David Honeybourne, Jon G Ayres, David J Nutt, Jonathan R Kerr
BACKGROUND: The authors have previously reported genomic subtypes of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) based on expression of 88 human genes. AIM: To attempt to reproduce these findings, determine the specificity of this signature to CFS/ME, and test for associations between CFS/ME subtype and infection. METHODS: Expression levels of 88 human genes were determined in blood of 62 new patients with idiopathic CFS/ME (according to Fukuda criteria), six patients with Q-fever-associated CFS/ME from the Birmingham Q-fever outbreak (according to Fukuda criteria), 14 patients with endogenous depression (according to DSM-IV criteria) and 29 normal blood donors...
February 2010: Journal of Clinical Pathology