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- Last Updated: 23 November 2015 23 November 2015
Cytokines are immune system signaling molecules that encourage the blood cells of the immune system to move toward the site of inflammation.
The CDC has an article Cytokines and the Symptoms of CFS (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, December 6, 2011) which describes research determining some symptoms of ME/CFS that can come from the release of cytokines. Most of the study centered on the effects of alpha-interferon.
Notice about names
The Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association would like to clarify the use of the various acronyms for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) on this site. When we generate our own articles on the illness, we will refer to it as ME/CFS, the term now generally used in the United States. When we are reporting on someone else’s report, we will use the term they use. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies, including the CDC, are currently using ME/CFS.
Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association changed its name in July, 2018, to reflect this consensus.