Immune changes found in people with CFS/ME

Conclusion This case-control study found cytokine differences in people diagnosed with CFS/ME for three years or less, compared with healthy controls. The same was not found for people with CFS/ME of more than three years' duration. The study authors interpreted this as a sign that CFS/ME might have two stages. The implications are that this may one day help researchers better understand the disease, and potentially develop new ways of testing and diagnosing the condition. Optimism notwithstanding, there are significant limitations to this study design, meaning it cannot say anything reliable or solid on its own. Further research needs to repeat, confirm and build on its findings. Professor Michael Sharpe, professor of psychological medicine at the University of Oxford, said: "Whilst this finding that some patients with CFS/ME have an immune abnormality is potentially interesting, we should treat it with great caution … This type of study [a case-control study] is notorious for producing findings that other researchers subsequently fail to replicate." He added: "Everyone who has worked clinically with patients with CFS/ME knows this is a real illness; this study neither proves nor disproves that observation." Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Join the Healthy Evidence forum. Links To The Headlines First biological proof that ME is real found by scientists. The Daily Telegraph, February 27 2015 Chronic ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: QA articles Source Type: news