By Serdar Dincel
ISTANBUL (AA) - Scientists reported they have designed the world’s first blood test capable of diagnosing myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).
The scientists' reported achievement came in a study published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, The Guardian reported on Wednesday.
At present, there is no definitive test for the condition, and diagnoses are typically made based on symptoms – often leaving patients undiagnosed for years.
“We wanted to see if we could develop a blood test to diagnose the condition – and we did," said the lead researcher, Professor Dmitry Pshezhetskiy, an academic clinician from the University of East Anglia.
"Our discovery offers the potential for a simple, accurate blood test to help confirm a diagnosis, which could lead to earlier support and more effective management.”
Scientists from the university and Oxford Biodynamics examined how DNA is folded in individuals with ME/CFS, hoping to identify biological markers of the illness.
By analyzing blood samples from 47 patients with severe ME/CFS and 61 healthy volunteers, they found a distinctive DNA-folding pattern unique to those with the condition.
This discovery allowed them to create a diagnostic test, which, according to their report in the Journal of Translational Medicine, demonstrated 92% sensitivity and 98% specificity.
"Chronic fatigue syndrome is not a genetic disease you’re born with, that’s why using EpiSwitch ‘epigenetic’ markers – which can change during a person’s life, unlike fixed genetic code – was key to reaching this high level of accuracy," said Alexandre Akoulitchev, chief scientific officer at Oxford Biodynamics, which funded and co-authored the study.
However, other experts underscored the need for further research to confirm the findings and to evaluate the test in a larger, more diverse group of patients.
"As the researchers point out, a diagnostic blood test has to be both highly sensitive and specific to that condition," said Dr. Charles Shepherd, medical adviser to the ME Association.
"In this case, we therefore need to know whether the abnormality is consistently present in the very early stages of ME/CFS as well as in people with longstanding disease who have mild or moderate ME/CFS.”