A systematic review of mitochondrial abnormalities in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome/systemic exertion intolerance disease

Abstract

Background Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (SEID) present with a constellation of symptoms including debilitating fatigue that is unrelieved by rest. The pathomechanisms underlying this illness are not fully understood and the search for a biomarker continues, mitochondrial aberrations have been suggested as a possible candidate. The aim of this systematic review is to collate and appraise current literature on mitochondrial changes in ME/CFS/SEID patients compared to healthy controls. Methods Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Medline (EBSCO host) were systematically searched for articles assessing mitochondrial changes in ME/CFS/SEID patients compared to healthy controls published between January 1995 and February 2020. The list of articles was further refined using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality and bias were measured using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Control Studies. Results Nineteen studies were included in this review. The included studies investigated mitochondrial structural and functional differences in ME/CFS/SEID patients compared with healthy controls. Outcomes addressed by the papers include changes in mitochondrial structure, deoxyribonucleic acid/ribonucleic acid, respiratory function, metabolites, and coenzymes. Conclusion Based on the included articles in the review it is difficult to establish the role of mitochondria in the pathomechanisms of ME/CFS/SEID due to inconsistencies across the studies. Future well-designed studies using the same ME/CFS/SEID diagnostic criteria and analysis methods are required to determine possible mitochondrial involvement in the pathomechanisms of ME/CFS/SEID.

Correction to: A systematic review of mitochondrial abnormalities in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome/systemic exertion intolerance disease

“…Following publication of the original article [ 1 ], the authors identified errors in the Results section, in the Discussion section and in Tables 2 and 4.…”

A systematic review of nutraceutical interventions for mitochondrial dysfunctions in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

“…A recent systematic review investigated mitochondrial dysfunction in ME/CFS patients compared with healthy controls (HC)[ 28 ]. Although disruptions to mitochondrial pathways were documented including changes in mitochondrial respiratory function, metabolites and coenzymes, there was a lack of consistency across the studies, including results and study designs [ 9 – 28 ].…”

“…A recent systematic review investigated mitochondrial dysfunction in ME/CFS patients compared with healthy controls (HC)[ 28 ]. Although disruptions to mitochondrial pathways were documented including changes in mitochondrial respiratory function, metabolites and coenzymes, there was a lack of consistency across the studies, including results and study designs [ 9 – 28 ]. Furthermore, with the low numbers of studies in this field it is difficult to derive appropriate conclusions for mitochondrial dysfunction for the pathomechanism of ME/CFS [ 9 – 28 ].…”

“…Possible mechanisms of mitochondrial involvement in ME/CFS have been described in literature [ 9 – 28 ]. The presentation and severity of ME/CFS symptoms vary from patient to patient [ 29 ].…”

“…Using our previous publication as a basis we have expanded the search to assess the effectiveness of nutraceutical interventions in treating ME/CFS symptoms by measuring patient-centred outcomes such as fatigue levels [ 28 ].…”