ABSTRACT
Blood investigations (n = 60) have been performed on several groups of female fibromyalgia (FM) patients who ranged in number from 20-to-25, and several groups of matched female controls who ranged in number from 19-to-20. Glycolysis, mitochon-drial respiratory chain, and antioxidant status parameters were assessed in plasma, erythrocytes, and leucocytes. Erythrocyte-transketolase and leucocyte-pyruvate dehydrogenase affinity for their coenzyme, as well as nitric oxide, citrulline and thiols were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased. Protein carbonyles were significantly (P < 0.01) increased. Less significant abnormalities (P < 0.05) were observed in erythrocyte-ATP, leucocyte-NAD, lactate production, lacticodehy-drogenase muscular isoenzymes, catalase, glutathione, taurine (decreased) and erythrocyte-transketolase activity coefficient, pyruvate or acyl carnitine/free carnitine ratio (increased). Mitochondrial respiratory chain was unchanged. Our findings are in line with investigations with nuclear magnetic resonance using 31 P (P-NMR) demonstrating that FM is associated with glycolysis rather than mitochondrial respiratory chain impairment. These energy metabolism abnormalities, as well as reduced nitric oxide and antioxidant defenses, require appropriate treatment.