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Cytotoxic Lymphocyte Micrornas As Prospective Biomarkers For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Ekua Brenu, Kevin Ashton, Mieke Van Driel, Donald Staines, Daniel Peterson, Gunn Atkinson, Sonia Marshall-Gradisnika

Kevin Ashton

Background: Immune dysfunction associated with a disease often has a molecular basis. A novel group of molecules known as microRNAs (miRNAs) have been associated with suppression of translational processes involved in cellular development and proliferation, protein secretion, apoptosis, immune function and inflammatory processes. MicroRNAs may be implicated in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME), where immune function is impaired. The objective of this study was to determine the association between miRNAs in cytotoxic cells and CFS/ME. Methods: Natural Killer (NK) and CD8+T cells were preferentially isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from all participants (CFS/ME, n = 28; mean age = …