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Illnesses of Unknown Etiology

Section Edited by Monica C. Panelli

This section aims to provide a translational medicine forum for the publication of research on illnesses, multi-system diseases and syndromes of unknown etiology. Examples of these include Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS).

There has been a continuous albeit undervalued progress in this arena. However, among the many medical specialties that try to diagnose and treat the multiple symptoms presented by patients affected by these diseases, an avenue of rapid and simultaneous communication is missing.

Studies on all aspects of ME/CFS and multi-system diseases of unknown cause with applications in medicine and biotechnology will be considered for publication. The section welcomes contributions that employ traditional clinical, metabolic, epidemiologic, genomics and proteomics methods as diagnostic and prognostic tools.

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  1. An accurate prediction for prognosis can help in guiding the therapeutic options and optimizing the trial design for generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG). We aimed to develop and validate a predictive nomogram ...

    Authors: Rui Zhao, Ying Wang, Xiao Huan, Huahua Zhong, Zhirui Zhou, Jianying Xi, Yuwei Da, Lin Lei, Ting Chang, Zhe Ruan, Lijun Luo, Shengnan Li, Huan Yang, Yi Li, Sushan Luo and Chongbo Zhao
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:285
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. Orthostatic intolerance (OI) is a frequent finding in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis /chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Published studies have proposed that deconditioning is an important pathophy...

    Authors: C. (Linda) M. C. van Campen, Peter C. Rowe and Frans C. Visser
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:193
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Myalgic Encephaloymelitis (ME/CFS) is a frequent debilitating disease with an enigmatic etiology. The finding of autoantibodies against ß2-adrenergic receptors (ß2AdR) prompted us t...

    Authors: Klaus J. Wirth and Carmen Scheibenbogen
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:162
    Content type: Review Published on:

  4. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex and debilitating disease accompanied by muscular fatigue and pain. A functional measure to assess muscle fatigability of ME/CFS patients...

    Authors: Bianka Jäkel, Claudia Kedor, Patricia Grabowski, Kirsten Wittke, Silvia Thiel, Nadja Scherbakov, Wolfram Doehner, Carmen Scheibenbogen and Helma Freitag
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:159
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating illness, characterised by persistent fatigue that is unrelieved by rest, in combination with a range of other disabling symptoms. T...

    Authors: Rebekah Maksoud, Cassandra Balinas, Sean Holden, Hélène Cabanas, Donald Staines and Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:81
    Content type: Review Published on:

  6. Authors: L. D. Crosby, S. Kalanidhi, A. Bonilla, A. Subramanian, J. S. Ballon and H. Bonilla
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:50
    Content type: Letter to the Editor Published on:

    The Correction to this article has been published in Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:217

  7. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is defined according to subjective symptoms only, and several conflicting case definition exist. Previous research has discovered certain biological alterations. The aim of the p...

    Authors: Tarjei Tørre Asprusten, Line Sletner and Vegard Bruun Bratholm Wyller
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:48
    Content type: Research Published on:

  8. Due to the inconsistent use of diagnostic criteria in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), it is unsure whether physiotherapeutic management regarded effective in ME/CFS is appropriate ...

    Authors: Marjon E. A. Wormgoor and Sanne C. Rodenburg
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2021 19:1
    Content type: Review Published on:

  10. Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is understood as a complex condition, likely triggered and sustained by an interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Little oversig...

    Authors: Ashley Elizabeth Muller, Kari Tveito, Inger Johanne Bakken, Signe A. Flottorp, Siri Mjaaland and Lillebeth Larun
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:484
    Content type: Review Published on:

  11. Q fever fatigue syndrome (QFS) is characterised by a state of prolonged fatigue that is seen in 20% of acute Q fever infections and has major health-related consequences. The molecular mechanisms underlying QF...

    Authors: Ruud P. H. Raijmakers, Megan E. Roerink, Anne F. M. Jansen, Stephan P. Keijmel, Ranko Gacesa, Yang Li, Leo A. B. Joosten, Jos W. M. van der Meer, Mihai G. Netea, Chantal P. Bleeker-Rovers and Cheng-Jian Xu
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:448
    Content type: Research Published on:

  13. Approximately 2.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This disease negatively impacts patients’ ability to function, often resulting in difficult...

    Authors: Turner Palombo, Andrea Campos, Suzanne D. Vernon and Shad Roundy
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:423
    Content type: Research Published on:

  14. Marine lipids contain omega-3 fatty acids that can be metabolized into anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving mediators—namely 17-HDHA and 18-HEPE—which can serve as modulators of the pain experience. The purpose...

    Authors: Nini Callan, Doug Hanes and Ryan Bradley
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:401
    Content type: Research Published on:

  15. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease of unknown etiology lasting for a minimum of 6 months but usually for many years, with features including fatigue, cognitiv...

    Authors: Ludovic Giloteaux, Adam O’Neal, Jesús Castro-Marrero, Susan M. Levine and Maureen R. Hanson
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:387
    Content type: Research Published on:

  16. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious and complex physical illness that affects all body systems with a multiplicity of symptoms, but key hallmarks of the disease are pervasi...

    Authors: Eiren Sweetman, Torsten Kleffmann, Christina Edgar, Michel de Lange, Rosamund Vallings and Warren Tate
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:365
    Content type: Research Published on:

  17. Since the 1990s, neuroimaging has been utilised to study Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating illness with unknown aetiology. While brain abnormalities in ME/CFS have bee...

    Authors: Zack Y. Shan, Leighton R. Barnden, Richard A. Kwiatek, Sandeep Bhuta, Daniel F. Hermens and Jim Lagopoulos
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:335
    Content type: Review Published on:

  18. Lightheadedness, fatigue, weakness, heart palpitations, cognitive dysfunction, muscle pain, and exercise intolerance are some of the symptoms of orthostatic intolerance (OI). There is substantial comorbidity o...

    Authors: Jihyun Lee, Suzanne D. Vernon, Patricia Jeys, Weam Ali, Andrea Campos, Derya Unutmaz, Brayden Yellman and Lucinda Bateman
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:314
    Content type: Research Published on:

  19. Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID) present with a constellation of symptoms including debilitating fatigue that is unrelie...

    Authors: Sean Holden, Rebekah Maksoud, Natalie Eaton-Fitch, Hélène Cabanas, Donald Staines and Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:290
    Content type: Review Published on:

    The Correction to this article has been published in Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:407

  20. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating disease with unknown causes. From the perspectives on the etiology and pathophysiology, ME/CFS has been labeled differently, which ...

    Authors: Eun-Jin Lim and Chang-Gue Son
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:289
    Content type: Review Published on:

    The Letter to the Editor to this article has been published in Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:447

  21. Post-exertional malaise (PEM), the cardinal feature of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), occurs generally after exposure to a stressor. It is characterized by the worsening of ME/CFS...

    Authors: Alaa Ghali, Paul Richa, Carole Lacout, Aline Gury, Anne-Berengere Beucher, Chadi Homedan, Christian Lavigne and Geoffrey Urbanski
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:246
    Content type: Research Published on:

  22. Most studies to assess effort intolerance in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) have used questionnaires. Few studies have compared questionnaires with objective measures...

    Authors: C. M. C. van Campen, Peter C. Rowe, Freek W. A. Verheugt and Frans C. Visser
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:228
    Content type: Research Published on:

  23. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (CFS/ME/SEID) is a complex illness that has an unknown aetiology. It has been proposed that metabolomics may contribute ...

    Authors: Teilah Kathryn Huth, Natalie Eaton-Fitch, Donald Staines and Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:198
    Content type: Review Published on:

  24. In myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), altered membrane excitability often occurs in exercising muscles demonstrating muscle dysfunction regardless of any psychiatric disorder. Increas...

    Authors: Yves Jammes, Nabil Adjriou, Nathalie Kipson, Christine Criado, Caroline Charpin, Stanislas Rebaudet, Chloé Stavris, Régis Guieu, Emmanuel Fenouillet and Frédérique Retornaz
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:173
    Content type: Research Published on:

  25. Monocytes and toll-like receptors (TLR) have been found in the inflammatory infiltrate of muscle biopsies in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), suggesting an important role of these cells ...

    Authors: Jiram Torres-Ruiz, Daniel Alberto Carrillo-Vazquez, Diana Marcela Padilla-Ortiz, Ricardo Vazquez-Rodriguez, Carlos Nuñez-Alvarez, Guillermo Juarez-Vega and Diana Gomez-Martin
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:125
    Content type: Research Published on:

  26. Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) has been emerging as a significant health issue worldwide. This study aimed to systemically assess the prevalence of CFS/ME in various aspects of analys...

    Authors: Eun-Jin Lim, Yo-Chan Ahn, Eun-Su Jang, Si-Woo Lee, Su-Hwa Lee and Chang-Gue Son
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:100
    Content type: Review Published on:

  27. Although medical requirements are urgent, no effective intervention has been proven for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). To facilitate the development of new therapeutics, we system...

    Authors: Do-Young Kim, Jin-Seok Lee, Samuel-Young Park, Soo-Jin Kim and Chang-Gue Son
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:7
    Content type: Review Published on:

    The Correction to this article has been published in Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:492

  28. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an objective, non-invasive tool to assessing autonomic dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). People with CFS/ME tend to have lower HRV; how...

    Authors: Rosa María Escorihuela, Lluís Capdevila, Juan Ramos Castro, María Cleofé Zaragozà, Sara Maurel, José Alegre and Jesús Castro-Marrero
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2020 18:4
    Content type: Research Published on:

  29. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition characterised by fatigue and post-exertional malaise. Its pathogenesis is poorly understood. GDF15 is a circulating prote...

    Authors: A. Melvin, E. Lacerda, H. M. Dockrell, S. O’Rahilly and L. Nacul
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2019 17:409
    Content type: Research Published on:

  30. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is hallmarked by a significant reduction in natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, a mechanism tightly regulated by calcium (Ca2+). Interestingly, inter...

    Authors: Cassandra Balinas, Helene Cabanas, Donald Staines and Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2019 17:401
    Content type: Research Published on:

  31. Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease. Previous mRNA microarray profiling studies of IgAN revealed inconsistent data. We sought to identify the aberrantly express...

    Authors: Youxia Liu, Xiangchun Liu, Junya Jia, Jie Zheng and Tiekun Yan
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2019 17:320
    Content type: Research Published on:

  32. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a heterogeneous disorder with uncertain pathogenesis. Without effective therapy, CFS is characterized by disabling fatigue, depression, memory loss, and somatic discomfort. Th...

    Authors: Tiansong Yang, Yan Yang, Delong Wang, Chaoran Li, Yuanyuan Qu, Jing Guo, Tianyu Shi, Wang Bo, Zhongren Sun and Tetsuya Asakawa
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2019 17:213
    Content type: Review Published on:

  33. Q fever fatigue syndrome (QFS) is a well-documented state of prolonged fatigue following around 20% of acute Q fever infections. It has been hypothesized that low grade inflammation plays a role in its aetiolo...

    Authors: Ruud P. H. Raijmakers, Anne F. M. Jansen, Stephan P. Keijmel, Rob ter Horst, Megan E. Roerink, Boris Novakovic, Leo A. B. Joosten, Jos W. M. van der Meer, Mihai G. Netea and Chantal P. Bleeker-Rovers
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2019 17:157
    Content type: Research Published on:

  34. Genomic disorders present a wide spectrum of unrelated clinical entities that result from genomic rearrangements. Interstitial insertions requiring three points of breakage are rare genomic rearrangement event...

    Authors: Nuo Si, Xiaolu Meng, Zhen Zhao, Weibo Xia and Xue Zhang
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2019 17:138
    Content type: Research Published on:

  35. With an increasing indication spectrum of antiresorptive drugs, the medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw secondary to bisphosphonate therapy [MRONJ (BP)] is continuously gaining clinical relevance. Impa...

    Authors: Falk Wehrhan, Christian Gross, Kay Creutzburg, Kerstin Amann, Jutta Ries, Marco Kesting, Carol-Immanuel Geppert and Manuel Weber
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2019 17:69
    Content type: Research Published on:

  36. Osteopenia have been well documented in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Adiponectin has been shown to be inversely proportional to body mass index and to affect bone metabolism. However, the circulating...

    Authors: Hong-qi Zhang, Long-jie Wang, Shao-hua Liu, Jiong Li, Li-ge Xiao and Guan-teng Yang
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2019 17:64
    Content type: Research Published on:

  37. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic debilitating disease with huge social-economic impact. It has been suggested that immune dysregulation, nitrooxidative stress, and metab...

    Authors: Chin-An Yang, Sandra Bauer, Yu-Chen Ho, Franziska Sotzny, Jan-Gowth Chang and Carmen Scheibenbogen
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2018 16:231
    Content type: Research Published on:

  38. Mutations in leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are the most common cause of familial Parkinson’s disease (PD). Mitochondrial and autophagic dysfunction has been described as etiologic factors in different expe...

    Authors: Diana Luz Juárez-Flores, Ingrid González-Casacuberta, Mario Ezquerra, María Bañó, Francesc Carmona-Pontaque, Marc Catalán-García, Mariona Guitart-Mampel, Juan José Rivero, Ester Tobias, Jose Cesar Milisenda, Eduard Tolosa, Maria Jose Marti, Ruben Fernández-Santiago, Francesc Cardellach, Constanza Morén and Glòria Garrabou
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2018 16:160
    Content type: Research Published on:

  39. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a severely debilitating condition of unknown etiology. The symptoms and risk factors of ME/CFS share features of accelerated agi...

    Authors: Mangalathu S. Rajeevan, Janna Murray, Lisa Oakley, Jin-Mann S. Lin and Elizabeth R. Unger
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2018 16:44
    Content type: Research Published on:

  40. Candidate-gene studies on fibromyalgia susceptibility often include a small number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which is a limitation. Moreover, there is a paucity of evidence in Europe. Therefor...

    Authors: Fernando Estévez-López, Daniel Camiletti-Moirón, Virginia A. Aparicio, Víctor Segura-Jiménez, Inmaculada C. Álvarez-Gallardo, Alberto Soriano-Maldonado, Milkana Borges-Cosic, Pedro Acosta-Manzano, Rinie Geenen, Manuel Delgado-Fernández, Luis J. Martínez-González, Jonatan R. Ruiz and María J. Álvarez-Cubero
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2018 16:43
    Content type: Research Published on:

  41. Preliminary evidence suggests that the enteric microbiota may play a role in the expression of neurological symptoms in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Overlapping symptoms with th...

    Authors: Amy Wallis, Michelle Ball, Henry Butt, Donald P. Lewis, Sandra McKechnie, Phillip Paull, Amber Jaa-Kwee and Dorothy Bruck
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2018 16:24
    Content type: Research Published on:

    The Correction to this article has been published in Journal of Translational Medicine 2018 16:39

  42. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a potentially disabling disorder. Little is known about the contributors to severe forms of the illness. We describe three consecutive patients wi...

    Authors: Peter C. Rowe, Colleen L. Marden, Scott Heinlein and Charles C. Edwards II
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2018 16:21
    Content type: Research Published on:

  44. Myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a common and severe disease with a considerable social and economic impact. So far, the etiology is not known, and neither a diagnostic marker ...

    Authors: Carmen Scheibenbogen, Helma Freitag, Julià Blanco, Enrica Capelli, Eliana Lacerda, Jerome Authier, Mira Meeus, Jesus Castro Marrero, Zaiga Nora-Krukle, Elisa Oltra, Elin Bolle Strand, Evelina Shikova, Slobodan Sekulic and Modra Murovska
    Citation: Journal of Translational Medicine 2017 15:162
    Content type: Review Published on:

Previously published in Journal of Translational Medicine

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) articles

Journal of Translational Medicine

ISSN: 1479-5876

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