Possible markers of chronic fatigue have been found in the blood

In the Cornell Clinical Laboratory, scientists have learned to “read” the information left by dead cells in the blood — the so-called “cell-free” RNA. It was she who spoke about the presence of chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a disease that is very difficult to diagnose due to vague symptoms.

During the study, two groups donated blood: patients with ME/CFS and healthy but sedentary people. The scientists isolated RNA molecules from the blood and used machine learning to compare the samples. It turned out that there were more than 700 differences. Based on them, a model was built that was able to correctly determine ME/CFS with an accuracy of 77%. This is not a ready-made test yet, but there is already noticeable progress.

The analysis also showed characteristic signs of impaired immune activity: the patients had an increased number of plasmocytoid dendritic protective cells responsible for the production of antiviral interferons. Other abnormalities in the activity of immune cells, such as monocytes, platelets, and T-lymphocytes, were found, indicating systemic immune dysfunction in patients.

Today, it is possible to diagnose ME/CFS only after excluding other diseases. People complain of fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, and unclear consciousness — and it’s not easy for doctors to figure it out. The new blood diagnostic method promises to make the process more accurate and faster.

The researchers plan to continue their work, including using this technology to create a test that will help distinguish between ME/CFS and kidney—like conditions, as well as better understand the mechanisms of diseases that develop after infections.