title: Chronic fatigue syndrome: lack of association with hepatitis C virus infection.
abstract: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating heterogeneous disorder lacking consistent, objective physical or laboratory abnormalities. Among the hypothetical etiologies for CFS are chronic viral infections. The present controlled seroprevalence study found that, among typical CFS patients, evidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is uncommon. Only one of 36 patients and none of 14 controls were anti-HCV positive. The positive patient had persistent aminotransferase elevations and prior posttransfusion hepatitis. Thus HCV infection is not a common feature of CFS and should not be routinely sought.
authors.affiliation: Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Di Bisceglie
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hoofnagle
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Straus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000637:Transaminases / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D000637:Transaminases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase