646
Views
9
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Articles

Chronic fatigue syndrome: the current status and future potentials of emerging biomarkers

, , , , , & show all
Pages 93-109
Received 16 Dec 2013
Accepted 16 Mar 2014
Published online: 23 Apr 2014
 

Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) remains an incompletely characterized illness, in part due to controversy regarding its definition, biological basis, and diagnosis. Purpose: Biomarkers are objective measures that may lead to improvements in our understanding of CFS by providing a more coherent and consistent approach to study, diagnosis, and treatment of the illness. Such metrics may allow us to distinguish between CFS subtypes – each defined by characteristic biomarkers – currently conflated under the single, heterogeneous condition of CFS. These delineations, in turn, may guide more granular, focused, and targeted treatment strategies based on more precise characterizations of the illness. Methods: Here, we review potential CFS biomarkers related to neurological and immunological components of the illness. Results, Conclusions: We discuss how these biomarkers may be used to move the field of CFS forward, emphasizing clinical utility and potential routes of future research.

Acknowledgement

Conflict of interest disclosures: The authors declare NO conflicts of interest. Financial disclosure: The authors declare NO financial conflicts of interest.

Funding

Funding for this work was provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Grant Number HD072208) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Grant Number AI105781) to Leonard A. Jason.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David B. Fischer

David B. Fischer studied psychology, neuroscience and philosophy at Haverford College, where he conducted research on mechanisms of pain and social behavior as an Arnold Beckman Scholar. He subsequently attended Harvard Medical School, where he conducted research in neuroimaging and noninvasive brain stimulation as an HHMI Medical Research Fellow, while also writing in the field of neuroethics. He plans to pursue a career in clinical neuroscience.

Arsani H. William

Arsani H. William graduated from Stanford in 2011 with a degree in Biology with Honors, where he spent 3 years researching therapies for Multiple Sclerosis using the EAE mouse model. At Harvard, he was named the incoming Gerald S. Foster Scholar and served as the Harvard Medical School representative to the AAMC. He is President and Founder of the AMF, an NGO devoted to Hepatitis C awareness in Egypt. He has published manuscripts in orthopedics, neurosurgery, and on chronic pelvic pain syndrome. He is currently completing an MD/MBA with plans on pursuing a career in clinical practice.

Adam C. Strauss

Adam C. Strauss was born in western Massachusetts, where he graduated from high school before moving to California to study at Pomona College, majoring in molecular biology. After college he spent 3 years doing research at City of Hope National Medical Center and The Broad Institute before studying medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston. During medical school he conducted research in chronic pelvic pain syndrome and ultimately decided to pursue internal medicine. He is currently a resident at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire.

Elizabeth R. Unger

Elizabeth R. Unger received her PhD and MD from the University of Chicago and completed a residency in anatomic pathology at the University of Chicago and the Pennsylvania State University Hershey Medical Center. She is currently Chief of the Chronic Viral Diseases Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is responsible for guiding research and public health studies encompassing molecular pathology of both human papillomavirus and chronic fatigue syndrome. As part of her CDC tenure, Dr Unger has served as a consultant for the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration.

Leonard A. Jason

Leonard A. Jason received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Rochester in 1975. He is currently a Professor of Psychology at DePaul University and the Director of the Center for Community Research. Jason has edited or written 23 books, and he has published over 600 articles and 75 book chapters on chronic fatigue syndrome; Oxford House recovery homes; the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse; media interventions; and program evaluation.

Gailen D. Marshall

Gailen D. Marshall MD PhD is the R. Faser Triplett, Sr. MD Chair of Allergy and Immunology, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Vice Chair for Research, Director of the Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy and Chief of the Laboratory of Behavioral Immunology Research at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He is the immediate past chair of the Department of Health and Human Services Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee. He has studied the relationships between the mind and the immune system for the past 20 years and has contributed to the understanding of immunoregulatory dysfunction as a result of extreme physical and psychological stressors experienced by patients with chronic illnesses such as CFS/ME.

Jordan D. Dimitrakoff

Jordan D. Dimitrakoff, MD, PhD, has performed research on chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and interstitial cystitis for the past 15 years. He graduated with a degree in Medicine magna cum laude and defended a PhD thesis summa cum laude from the Medical University in Bulgaria. Dr Dimitrakoff received the 2004 Scientist of the Year by the Ministry Council of Bulgaria, the highest honor of scientific achievement for his work on CP/CPPS. Dr Dimitrakoff has been actively involved in genomic, proteomic and epidemiologic studies of CP/CPPS and overlapping conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
EUR 40.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
EUR 197.00 Add to cart

Purchase access via tokens

  • Choose from packages of 10, 20, and 30 tokens
  • Can use on articles across multiple libraries & subject collections
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded & printed
From EUR 400.00
per package
Learn more
* Local tax will be added as applicable
 

Related research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.