Chronic fatigue syndrome characteristics and possible causes for its pathogenesis

Isr Med Assoc J. 2008 Jan;10(1):79-82.

Chronic fatigue syndrome: characteristics and possible causes for its pathogenesis.

Bassi N, Amital D, Amital H, Doria A, Shoenfeld Y. Department of Rheumatology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a heterogeneous disorder with unknown pathogenesis and etiology, characterized by disabling fatigue, difficulty in concentration and memory, and concomitant skeletal and muscular pain. Several mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in CFS, such as excessive oxidative stress following exertion, immune imbalance characterized by decreased natural killer cell and macrophage activity, immunoglobulin G subclass deficiencies (IgG1, IgG3) and decreased serum concentrations of complement component. Autoantibodies were also suggested as a possible factor in the pathogenesis of CFS. Recent studies indicate that anti-serotonin, anti-microtubule-associated protein 2 and anti-muscarinic cholinergic receptor 1 may play a role in the pathogenesis of CFS. It has been demonstrated that impairment in vasoactive neuropeptide metabolism may explain the symptoms of CFS.

PMID: 18300582 [PubMed - in process]