Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes in Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Chronic Fatigue: No Evidence of a Biomarker

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Background

Chronic

fatiguing illness remains a poorly understood syndrome of unknown

pathogenesis. We attempted to identify biomarkers for chronic fatiguing

illness using microarrays to query the transcriptome in peripheral

blood leukocytes.

Methods

Cases

were 44 individuals who were clinically evaluated and found to meet

standard international criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome or

idiopathic chronic fatigue, and controls were their monozygotic

co-twins who were clinically evaluated and never had even one month of

impairing fatigue. Biological sampling conditions were standardized and

RNA stabilizing media were used. These methodological features provide

rigorous control for bias resulting from case-control mismatched

ancestry and experimental error. Individual gene expression profiles

were assessed using Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 arrays.

Findings

There were no significant differences in gene expression for any transcript.

Conclusions

Contrary

to our expectations, we were unable to identify a biomarker for chronic

fatiguing illness in the transcriptome of peripheral blood leukocytes

suggesting that positive findings in prior studies may have resulted

from experimental bias.