Gene expression subtypes in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a multisystem disease, the pathogenesis of which remains undetermined. We set out to determine the precise abnormalities of gene expression in the blood of patients with CFS/ME. We analyzed gene expression in peripheral blood from 25 patients with CFS/ME diagnosed according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention diagnostic criteria and 50 healthy blood donors, using a microarray with a cutoff fold difference of expression of >or=2.5. Genes showing differential expression were further analyzed in 55 patients with CFS/ME and 75 healthy blood donors, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Differential expression was confirmed for 88 genes; 85 were upregulated, and 3 were downregulated. Highly represented functions were hematological disease and function, immunological disease and function, cancer, cell death, immune response, and infection. Clustering of quantitative polymerase chain reaction data from patients with CFS/ME revealed 7 subtypes with distinct differences in Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 scores, clinical phenotypes, and severity.
Kerr
Jonathan R
JR
Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, St. George's University of London, London. jkerr@sgul.ac.uk
Petty
Robert
R
Burke
Beverley
B
Gough
John
J
Fear
David
D
Sinclair
Lindsey I
LI
Mattey
Derek L
DL
Richards
Selwyn C M
SC
Montgomery
Jane
J
Baldwin
Don A
DA
Kellam
Paul
P
Harrison
Tim J
TJ
Griffin
George E
GE
Main
Janice
J
Enlander
Derek
D
Nutt
David J
DJ
Holgate
Stephen T
ST
D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005810:Multigene Family; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors