Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31277442›Full record

ArticleDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2019

Post-Exertional Malaise Is Associated with Hypermetabolism, Hypoacetylation and Purine Metabolism Deregulation in ME/CFS Cases.

Neil R McGregor, Christopher W Armstrong, Donald P Lewis, Paul R Gooley

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.1field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 52 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Urinary metabolites and fatigue in a population-based metabolomics study: an exploratory analysis.Metabolomics : Official journal of the Metabolomic Society · 2026
    Article
  7. Observational
  8. Review
  9. Observational
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Aqueous Extract ofNutrients · 2023
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Frontiers in immunology · 2023
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Neil R McGregorFaculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia. neilm@unimelb.edu.au.
Christopher W ArmstrongDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biochemistry Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia.
Donald P LewisCFS Discovery, Donvale Medical Centre, Donvale VIC 3111, Australia.
Paul R GooleyDepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biochemistry Institute, 30 Flemington Road, Parkville VIC 3010, Australia.
Monash Medical Centre · AUUniversity of Melbourne · AU

Funding

Blake Beckett Trust No grant nuumberMason Foundation No Grant NumberMr Douglas Stutt No Grant NumberThe Field Family No Grant number
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a cardinal predictive symptom in the definition of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). If the cases overexert themselves they have what is termed "payback" resulting in a worsening of symptoms or relapse which can last for days, weeks or even months. The aim was to assess the changes in biochemistry associated with the cases self-reported PEM scores over a 7-day period and the frequency of reporting over a 12-month period. Forty-seven ME/CFS cases and age/sex-matched controls had a clinical examination, completed questionnaires; were subjected to standard serum biochemistry; had their serum and urine metabolomes analyzed in an observational study. Thirty-five of the 46 ME/CFS cases reported PEM in the last 7-days and these were allocated to the PEM group. The principal biochemical change related to the 7-day severity of PEM was the fall in the purine metabolite, hypoxanthine. This decrease correlated with alterations in the glucose:lactate ratio highly suggestive of a glycolytic anomaly. Increased excretion of urine metabolites within the 7-day response period indicated a hypermetabolic event was occurring. Increases in urine excretion of methylhistidine (muscle protein degradation), mannitol (intestinal barrier deregulation) and acetate were noted with the hypermetabolic event. These data indicate hypoacetylation was occurring, which may also be related to deregulation of multiple cytoplasmic enzymes and DNA histone regulation. These findings suggest the primary events associated with PEM were due to hypoacetylation and metabolite loss during the acute PEM response.

Indexed as

chronicexercisefatigue syndromehistone deacetylationhypoacetylationmethylhistidine

Identifiers

PMID31277442
PMCPMC6787670
OpenAlexW2955394534

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.