Another biomarker for CFS/ME??

Here's a new term for you: CD26. Remember it - you might be hearing a lot about it, and it could someday confirm your diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS).

This certainly isn't the first time we've heard that something-or-other could turn out to be a biomarker for ME/CFS (a biomarker would mean objective evidence of disease and help a lot with diagnoses.) This time, though, the news about CD26 is especially promising.

Leading ME/CFS researcher Dr. Nancy Klimas presented evidence on CD26 as a biomarker at the June 2008 Symptosium on Viruses in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Dr. Klimas says poor natural-killer cell dysfunction is a big problem in ME/CFS, but the test is really expensive. In looking for a cheaper test, she found that CD26 is a good indicator of natural-killer cell function.

CD26 is a receptor on immune cells and in your blood. It reflects immune depletion and is significantly low in ME/CFS.

Not bad, eh? A possible diagnostic test that's inexpensive! That means insurance companies are less likely to balk when it comes time to pay for it.