Blankfield, Adele · International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR · 2011 · DOI
This study examines a theory that ME/CFS might be related to problems with how the body processes an amino acid called tryptophan. The body normally breaks down tryptophan through a pathway called the kynurenine pathway, and the researchers suggest that abnormalities in this process could contribute to the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying ME/CFS is crucial for developing targeted treatments. If the kynurenine pathway is indeed dysregulated in ME/CFS, it could lead to new biomarkers for diagnosis and novel therapeutic interventions targeting tryptophan metabolism.
This study does not provide empirical evidence that the kynurenine pathway is actually abnormal in ME/CFS patients, nor does it establish causation. As a mechanistic hypothesis paper without original patient data, it presents a theoretical framework that requires prospective clinical validation through direct measurements of kynurenine pathway metabolites in ME/CFS populations.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Blankfield, Adele (2011). Kynurenine pathway Hypothesis: The nature of the chronic Fatigue syndrome (cFs) Revisited.. International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR. https://doi.org/10.4137/IJTR.S7898
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-blankfield-2011-kynurenine-pathway,
author = {Blankfield, Adele},
title = {Kynurenine pathway Hypothesis: The nature of the chronic Fatigue syndrome (cFs) Revisited.},
journal = {International journal of tryptophan research : IJTR},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.4137/IJTR.S7898},
note = {PubMed: 22084603},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/blankfield-2011-kynurenine-pathway},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/blankfield-2011-kynurenine-pathway
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