Review Biomarkers over Time: From Visual Contrast Sensitivity to Transcriptomics in Differentiating [CIRS] and [ME/CFS] 2025 Dooley

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Senior Member (Voting rights)
Full title: Biomarkers over Time: From Visual Contrast Sensitivity to Transcriptomics in Differentiating Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Abstract

Chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) are debilitating multisystem illnesses that share overlapping symptoms and molecular patterns, including immune dysregulation, mitochondrial impairment, and vascular dysfunction. This review provides a chronological synthesis of biomarker development in CIRS, tracing its evolution from early functional tests such as visual contrast sensitivity (VCS) to advanced transcriptomic profiling. Drawing on peer-reviewed studies spanning two decades, we examine the layered integration of neuroendocrine, immunologic, metabolic, and genomic markers that collectively support a multisystem model of innate immune activation specific to environmentally acquired illness. Particular focus is given to the Gene Expression: Inflammation Explained (GENIE) platform’s use of transcriptomics to classify disease stages and distinguish CIRS from other fatiguing conditions. While ME/CFS research continues to explore overlapping pathophysiologic features, it has yet to establish a unified diagnostic model with validated biomarkers or exposure-linked mechanisms. As a result, many patients labeled with ME/CFS may, in fact, represent unrecognized CIRS cases. This review underscores the importance of structured biomarker timelines in improving differential diagnosis and guiding treatment in complex chronic illness and highlights the reproducibility of the CIRS framework in contrast to the diagnostic ambiguity surrounding ME/CFS.

Open access
 
Dr. Ming Dooley earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Grand Canyon University (2025), a master’s in Traditional Oriental Medicine (1992), and a doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from Pacific College of Health and Science (2020). She is now co-owner of the Holistic Resonance Center, an integrative medical practice. Her work in environmental and integrative medicine has resulted in five peer-reviewed publications, along with eight national conference presentations. In 1993, she received a USD 30,000 exploratory grant from the National Institutes of Health during the inaugural year of NIH funding for alternative medicine. Dr. Dooley is a member of the Surviving Mold CIRS Academy and is nationally board-certified in Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). She has been certified in the Shoemaker Protocol for the treatment of biotoxin illness since 2017. Her research interests include chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), environmental illness, and integrative clinical care. She is currently pursuing her Master of Science degree in Nursing at Walden University, with the goal of becoming a licensed Family Nurse Practitioner.
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