[Chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome].

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by unexplained, debilitating fatigue or easy fatigability lasting longer than six months. While a viral basis of infection is proposed to be the cause of CFS, other viral infections do not generally persist after several weeks. Immunological disorders, including abnormal functions and distributions of T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, and monocyte/macrophages, are described in CFS. NK cells are known to play an important role in host resistance against viral infection as well as in the regulation of the immune systems. Restoration of NK activity resulted in recovery from CFS. Taken together, immunological abnormalities, especially dysfunction of NK cells, may be involved in CFS.