Scientists develop first accurate blood test' to detect chronic fatigue syndrome

"Scientists say they have developed the world's first blood test to diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). There is no currently no test for the condition and patients tend to be diagnosed based on symptoms, which means many can go undiagnosed for years. However, some experts not involved with the research urged caution and said the test would need to be fully validated in better designed and independent studies before it could be considered for use in clinical practice."

"The team discovered a unique pattern that appears consistently in people with ME/CFS that is not seen in healthy people, enabling them to develop the test. Writing in the Journal of Translational Medicine, they said the test had a sensitivity or the likelihood of a test being positive if that patient has the condition of 92%. It had a specificity the probability the test will rule out negative cases of 98%."

A blood test has been developed to diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) using patterns of DNA folding in blood samples. Samples from 47 patients with severe ME/CFS and 61 healthy adults revealed a unique, consistent DNA-folding pattern in people with ME/CFS not seen in healthy controls. Reported diagnostic performance included 92% sensitivity and 98% specificity. The test offers potential for earlier confirmation of diagnosis, earlier support, and more effective management for people with ME/CFS who often face delayed or incorrect diagnoses. Some external experts urged caution and recommended independent validation in better-designed studies before clinical use.

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