ArticlePloS one2018
Identification of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-associated DNA methylation patterns.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04378634 (The Influence of Epigenetic Modifications and Post-Exertional Malaise in People With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), which is not on this map. Cited by 40 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Influence of Epigenetic Modifications and Post-Exertional Malaise in People With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 56 citations in OpenAlex.
- Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Trial
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Epigenome-Wide Association Studies in the Million Veteran Program.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Epigenome-wide profiling identifies distinct DNA methylation architecture underlying ME/CFS and fibromyalgia symptom burden.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- Toward a Molecular Reclassification of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Integrating Multi-Omics, Machine Learning, and Precision Medicine.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Human Endogenous Retroviruses in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Emerging Roles in Pathogenesis, Immunity, Biomarkers and Therapeutics.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- PTPRN2 hypomethylation and PHB2-associated miR-153-3p maturation define dual epigenetic features linked to symptom variability in Myalgic encephalomyelitis.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- Hypermethylation of OPRM1: Deregulation of the Endogenous Opioid Pathway in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Mapping the complexity of ME/CFS: Evidence for abnormal energy metabolism, altered immune profile, and vascular dysfunction.Cell reports. Medicine · 2025Article
- Development and validation of blood-based diagnostic biomarkers for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using EpiSwitchJournal of translational medicine · 2025Article
- Precision Medicine Study of Post-Exertional Malaise Epigenetic Changes in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Patients During Exercise.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- AI-driven multi-omics modeling of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.Nature medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Unravelling the Connection Between Energy Metabolism and Immune Senescence/Exhaustion in Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Biomolecules · 2025Review
- BioMapAI: Artificial Intelligence Multi-Omics Modeling of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2025Article
- Application of DNA Methylome Analysis to Patients with ME/CFS.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2025Article
- Advocating the role of trained immunity in the pathogenesis of ME/CFS: a mini review.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
- A pilot study on the immune cell proteome of long COVID patients shows changes to physiological pathways similar to those in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Surveying the Metabolic and Dysfunctional Profiles of T Cells and NK Cells in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Methylation factors as biomarkers of fibromyalgia.Annals of translational medicine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundMyalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex condition involving multiple organ systems and characterized by persistent/relapsing debilitating fatigue, immune dysfunction, neurological problems, and other symptoms not curable for at least 6 months. Disruption of DNA methylation patterns has been tied to various immune and neurological diseases; however, its status in ME/CFS remains uncertain. Our study aimed at identifying changes in the DNA methylation patterns that associate with ME/CFS.
methodsWe extracted genomic DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 13 ME/CFS study subjects and 12 healthy controls and measured global DNA methylation by ELISA-like method and site-specific methylation status using Illumina MethylationEPIC microarrays. Pyrosequencing validation included 33 ME/CFS cases and 31 controls from two geographically distant cohorts.
resultsGlobal DNA methylation levels of ME/CFS cases were similar to those of controls. However, microarray-based approach allowed detection of 17,296 differentially methylated CpG sites in 6,368 genes across regulatory elements and within coding regions of genes. Analysis of DNA methylation in promoter regions revealed 307 differentially methylated promoters. Ingenuity pathway analysis indicated that genes associated with differentially methylated promoters participated in at least 15 different pathways mostly related to cell signaling with a strong immune component.
conclusionsThis is the first study that has explored genome-wide epigenetic changes associated with ME/CFS using the advanced Illumina MethylationEPIC microarrays covering about 850,000 CpG sites in two geographically distant cohorts of ME/CFS cases and matched controls. Our results are aligned with previous studies that indicate a dysregulation of the immune system in ME/CFS. They also suggest a potential role of epigenetic de-regulation in the pathobiology of ME/CFS. We propose screening of larger cohorts of ME/CFS cases to determine the external validity of these epigenetic changes in order to implement them as possible diagnostic markers in clinical setting.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.