Wichita Clinical Study Data Access

The data sets were collected during a 2-day in-hospital clinical assessment study conducted from December 2002 to July 2003 in Wichita, KS, USA (referred to as Wichita Clinical Study). The study enrolled 227 people and classified them into study groups. Each group was based on particular criteria, including those who:

• Meet the 1994 CFS international case definition (CFS)
• Meet the 1994 CFS international case definition except that a major depressive disorder with melancholic features was identified (CFS-MDDm)
• Are chronically fatigued but not meeting the CFS case definition because of insufficient number of symptoms or fatigue severity (ISF)
• Are chronically fatigued but with ISF and a major depressive disorder with melancholic features (ISF-MDDm)
• Are non-fatigued controls matched to CFS subjects on age, race/ethnicity, sex, and body mass index (NF)

Assessment included clinical evaluation of each subject's medical and psychiatric status, sleep characteristics and cognitive functioning. Laboratory testing evaluated neuroendocrine status, autonomic nervous system function, systemic cytokine profiles, peripheral blood gene expression patterns and polymorphisms in genes involved in neurotransmission and immune regulation. Evaluation was performed without knowledge of disease classification.

Further details about this study are provided in the study overview document (found below), which should be read before using any data set. The documents associated with each data set contain the information necessary for understanding the included variables. This web site contains documents only.

CDC Chronic Viral Diseases Branch is making the data accessible to researchers through CDC's NCHS Research Data Center (RDC). All researchers and users interested in the data shall be subject to all RDC procedures and protocols. Instructions on how access the data sets are available on the RDC Web site.

Note: If you are interested in using the gene expression data, please contact the RDC before submitting a proposal. Email rdca@cdc.gov with the subject "Wichita CFS Gene Expression Data" and someone will call you to discuss the process.