Acylcarnitine deficiency in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Kuratsune, H, Yamaguti, K, Takahashi, M et al.·Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America·1994
This study found that people with ME/CFS have lower levels of acylcarnitine, a substance that helps muscles produce energy, in their blood. Because acylcarnitine plays an important role in how muscles use energy, this deficiency might explain why ME/CFS patients experience fatigue, muscle pain, and weakness. Importantly, acylcarnitine levels tended to improve as patients recovered, suggesting it could be useful for tracking disease severity.