Endothelial dysfunction

Endothelial dysfunction is a dysfunction in the endothelium, which is a thin layer that covers the inner surface of all blood vessels. The endothelium separates the circulating blood from the tissues, and vascular endothelium has a key role in maintaining vascular homeostasis by releasing vasodilators and vasoconstrictors which either tighten or relax muscles in order to increase or reduce the size of blood vessels.

Sympathetic nervous system
Endothelial function is linked to the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), since the SNS provides the nerves for the blood vessels.

Symptom recognition
Endothelial dysfunction has only very recently been recognized within ME/CFS patients.

ME/CFS neurological symptoms hypothesis
In 2021 a group of EUROMENE researchers investigating ME/CFS published a hypothesis stating that endothelial dysfunction may be the cause of the neurological symptoms found in ME/CFS, although they hypothesized that other factors that described accounted for the other symptoms of ME/CFS.

Notable studies

 * 2022, Decreased NO production in endothelial cells exposed to plasma from ME/CFS patients - (Abstract)
 * 2021, An attempt to explain the neurological symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - (Full text)
 * 2021, Reduced Endothelial Function in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome–Results From Open-Label Cyclophosphamide Intervention Study - (Full text)
 * 2021, Pathophysiology of skeletal muscle disturbances in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) - (Full text)
 * 2021, Persistent endotheliopathy in the pathogenesis of long COVID syndrome - (Full text)
 * 2020, Endothelial Dysfunction Driven by Hypoxia—The Influence of Oxygen Deficiency on NO Bioavailability - (Full text)
 * 2020, Endothelial senescence and chronic fatigue syndrome, a COVID-19 based hypothesis - (Full text)
 * 2020, Peripheral endothelial dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome - (Full text)
 * 2017, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Hypofunction in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as a Consequence of Activated Immune-Inflammatory and Oxidative and Nitrosative Pathways - (Abstract)

Learn more

 * Endothelial dysfunction - Stanford healthcare
 * Anatomy, Blood Vessels - StatPearls book