Li, Yong-Jie, Wang, De-Xin, Bai, Xiao-Li et al. · Zhonghua yi xue za zhi · 2005
This study examined 82 Chinese patients with ME/CFS to understand what symptoms they experience and what might be causing their illness. Researchers found that most patients had memory and attention problems alongside fatigue, many showed signs of anxiety or depression, and some had low levels of a substance called L-carnitine (which helps produce energy) or evidence of a viral infection. When patients took L-carnitine supplements, their levels improved and symptoms got better.
This study provides evidence that ME/CFS involves multiple biological abnormalities—including possible viral involvement (BDV), metabolic dysfunction (L-carnitine deficiency), and fatty acid dysregulation—rather than being purely psychological. The finding that L-carnitine supplementation improved symptoms offers a potential therapeutic target worth investigating further in larger, controlled trials.
This study does not prove that BDV, L-carnitine deficiency, or fatty acid abnormalities are the primary cause of ME/CFS, only that they are associated with the condition in some patients. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or determine whether these abnormalities are causes or consequences of the illness. Results from a Chinese population may not generalize to other geographic or ethnic groups.
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
Li, Yong-Jie, Wang, De-Xin, Bai, Xiao-Li, Chen, Jun, Liu, Zhan-Dong, Feng, Zi-Jing, et al. (2005). [Clinical characteristics of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: analysis of 82 cases].. Zhonghua yi xue za zhi. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15932738/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-li-2005-clinical-characteristics,
author = {Li, Yong-Jie and Wang, De-Xin and Bai, Xiao-Li and Chen, Jun and Liu, Zhan-Dong and Feng, Zi-Jing and Zhao, Ya-Ming},
title = {[Clinical characteristics of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: analysis of 82 cases].},
journal = {Zhonghua yi xue za zhi},
year = {2005},
note = {PubMed: 15932738},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/li-2005-clinical-characteristics},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/li-2005-clinical-characteristics
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