Health. Chronic Fatigue: Researchers Unravel the Mystery of This Syndrome

Imagine unusual fatigue that no battery of tests can explain. To the point that we end up believing that "it's all in the head." This is the daily life of patients suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis, better known as chronic fatigue syndrome .

While the causes of this illness, which affects 250,000 people in France, remain poorly understood (infection, significant stress, etc.), researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have suggested a genetic origin. This is a most important discovery, given that there is currently no diagnostic test or curative treatment.

Eight genes involved

For their work, the scientists analyzed 15,579 DNA samples from the 27,000 people affected by this syndrome and participating in the DecodeME project, the world's largest database on this disease.

They then identified eight distinct genetic markers in people with this condition, compared to those without it. These differences, also called "genetic signals," are linked to the immune and nervous systems.

At least two of these signals relate to how the body responds to infection, echoing patient reports that symptoms often begin after an illness.

Promising prospects

Because a person's DNA does not change over time, experts say these genetic signals likely reflect the causes of the disease.

Although these findings are not yet ready to influence treatment or diagnosis, they offer vital clues about the origins of the disease and could guide future drug development.