Red blood cell deformability is diminished in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

Rating Explanation

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Paper Summary

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Stiffer Blood Cells in CFS: A Small Study with a Big "If"

In a small study, red blood cells from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients were found to be less deformable than those from healthy controls using a microfluidic device. This stiffness may contribute to symptoms like pain and fatigue by impairing microcirculation, but larger, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms. The study is further limited by its cross-sectional design and potential confounding from patient medication use.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified.

Identified Weaknesses

Small sample size

The sample size was small, consisting of 16 CFS patients and 16 matched controls. Larger studies are needed to confirm the findings and determine their clinical significance.

Lack of mechanistic insight

The study did not investigate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the observed differences in red blood cell deformability. Further research is needed to explore the causes and consequences of this phenomenon.

Cross-sectional design

The cross-sectional design of the study limits causal interpretations. It is unclear whether the observed changes in red blood cell deformability are a cause or consequence of CFS.

Potential confounding from medications

The study mentions that some patients were taking various medications and supplements. While one drug (colchicine) has been shown to affect cell deformability, the impact of other medications is not accounted for, potentially influencing the results.

Rating Explanation

This is a small, preliminary study with interesting findings. However, the small sample size, cross-sectional design, and lack of mechanistic insight limit its impact. The rating reflects the need for further research to validate and expand upon these results.

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