A Defect in Mitochondrial Function May Underlie Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Thus, the authors conclude that the lower maximal respiration seen in CFS PBMCs may indicate the cells are unable to elevate their respiration rate to compensate for the increased cellular energy demands experienced during physiological stress. They also note that their experiments could not determine whether the differences in PBMC energy patterns are a cause or consequence of CFS. However, investigators suggest that future research focus on maximal respiration in the mitochondria of patients with CFS.

Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer based in the Chicago area.

Reference

1. Tomas C, Brown A, Strassheim V, et al. Cellular bioenergetics is impaired in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. PLoS One. 2017 Oct 24;12(10):e0186802. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186802. eCollection 2017.