Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Characteristics and Possible Causes for its Pathogenesis
N. Bassi, D. Amital, H. Amital, A. Doria and Y. Shoenfeld
Click on the icon on the upper right hand side for the article by Nicola Bassi, MD, Daniela Amital, MD, Howard Amital, MD, Andrea Doria, MD and Yehuda Shoenfeld, MD.
IMAJ 2008: 10: January: 79-82
Abstract
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 (IgG-1, IgG-3) 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 CFS symptoms
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