# Diagnostic Test for ME



## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

This was posted to the Co-Cure email list:****************************************April 2004 the University of Glasgow announcediagnostic Test for ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~University of GlasgowMyalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome(CFS) is a disorder that effects as many as 100,000 people inthe UK and has a serious social and economic impactworldwide.In January 2002 the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir LiamDonaldson, confirmed that, 'CFS/ME is a debilitating anddistressing condition affecting many people'. The report of theScottish Short Life Working Group on ME/CFS was publishedin December 2002 emphasising the importance of developinga clinical service to these patients. One of the difficulties,however, has been the lack of a diagnostic test for ME/CFS.The recent identification of a gene product abnormality inpatients with ME/CFS demonstrated that there may be a directassociation between this gene and ME/CFS. Proving thisconcept would enable the development of a simple diagnostictest kit which could be made widely available to health careprofessionals.Dr John Gow explains, 'As a member of the UK MEAssociation's Scientific and Medical Advisory Panel, I amacutely aware that a diagnostic test is needed. Diagnosis ofME/CFS is currently one of differentiation and exclusion(excluding the presence of other disorders) as no specificdiagnostic test for CFS currently exists in the marketplace. Atest would help identify those patients with the syndrome and,importantly, exclude those patients suffering from otherconditions. The resultant global market potential for ME/CFStesting is huge and growing.'Recent advances in the analysis of the human genome haveresulted in a greater understanding of the blueprint for life andthe potential for humans to develop diseases and conditions inthe presence of genetic variation or mutation. This knowledgehas allowed the identification of a gene abnormality which maybe associated with ME/CFS and which may allow thedevelopment of both a laboratory based PCR diagnostic testand a more simple antibody based ELISA test.Dr. Abhijit Chaudhuri, a senior clinician working on the projectwith Dr Gow and a member of the Scottish Short Life WorkingGroup on ME/CFS, continued, 'We want to characterise thegene abnormality linked to ME/CFS and then develop a simplediagnostic test which could be used in a primary healthcaresetting. In addition, a knowledge of the genetics of ME/CFS willhelp us to develop new strategies for managing our patients.This award by the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept fundwill enable us to work rapidly towards a diagnostic test 'Judith Hodgson (j.hodgson###admin.gla.ac.uk)


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Oh, that's interesting MrsMason, thanks for posting it. Anyone know which 'gene product abnormality' this is? I would have suggested the low-molecular weight RNASE-L, but that's not a recent discovery.


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## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

That's very possible. I also thought of the studies they had done recently that showed ME has the similar gene marker as Huntington's Disease. Hopefully, we'll know before too much longer!


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