Majeed, T, de Simone, C, Famularo, G et al. · European journal of neurology · 1995 · DOI
This study examined carnitine, a substance that helps cells produce energy, in people with ME/CFS. Researchers found that while carnitine levels in the blood were normal, the levels inside immune cells were significantly lower in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy people. This finding suggests that ME/CFS patients might benefit from taking carnitine supplements to restore normal energy production.
This study provides early evidence of an energy metabolism defect specific to the cellular level in ME/CFS, which could explain the hallmark post-exertional symptom worsening. If carnitine deficiency is a consistent finding across tissues, it could lead to targeted supplementation strategies as a potential therapeutic intervention for ME/CFS.
This study does not establish whether carnitine deficiency is a cause or a consequence of ME/CFS. It also does not prove that carnitine supplementation will be effective or beneficial in ME/CFS patients, nor does it determine whether deficiency occurs in skeletal muscle or other tissues directly (only inferred from PBL findings). The small sample size and cross-sectional design limit causal inference.
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
Majeed, T, de Simone, C, Famularo, G, Marcellini, S, & Behan, P O (1995). Abnormalities of carnitine metabolism in chronic fatigue syndrome.. European journal of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-1331.1995.tb00151.x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-majeed-1995-abnormalities-carnitine,
author = {Majeed, T and de Simone, C and Famularo, G and Marcellini, S and Behan, P O},
title = {Abnormalities of carnitine metabolism in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {European journal of neurology},
year = {1995},
doi = {10.1111/j.1468-1331.1995.tb00151.x},
note = {PubMed: 24283722},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/majeed-1995-abnormalities-carnitine},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/majeed-1995-abnormalities-carnitine
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.