CD8+ T cells from people with ME/CFS showed a decrease in energy production after activation. Notably, they had changes in their mitochondria—the structures that produce most of the cell’s energy.
Compared to cells taken from people without the disease, both CD4+ and CD8+ cells from people with ME/CFS had reduced glycolosis at rest. Glycolosis is another pathway that cells use to produce energy. CD8+ cells from people with ME/CFS also had reduced glycolysis after activation.