Is a diagnostic blood test for chronic fatigue syndrome on the horizon?, by
Michael Maes, Laura Andres & Gerwyn Morris in Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, Published online: 18 Oct 2019 [https://doi.org/10.1080/14737159.2020.1681976]

Expert opinion

Most if not all biomarkers of ME/CFS are pathway biomarkers although a few etiologic or predisposing biomarkers were delineated. These biomarkers indicate the multiple immune, oxidative, and metabolic pathways that underpin the pathophysiology of ME/CFS.

However, until now, no diagnostic, treatment or staging biomarkers could be developed and, therefore, future research should develop those types of biomarkers employing data mining models with biomarkers of the pathways described herein as input variables. Moreover, pathway-phenotype algorithms should be modeled which may be used to diagnose biomarker-validated symptom dimensions including disabling fatigue, cognitive impairments, post-exertional malaise, fibromyalgia-like symptoms, and irritable bowel syndrome.

All in all, a new ME/CFS diagnostic blood test useful to make the diagnosis of ME/CFS is not yet on the horizon. The way forward is to develop adequate diagnostic criteria based on machine learning and to combine biomarkers and clinical phenotypes into pathway-phenotypes using machine learning techniques.

Read the authors’ review of the research into biomarkers so far.