title: The "chronic, active Epstein-Barr virus infection" syndrome and primary fibromyalgia.
abstract: Fifty patients with primary fibromyalgia who had been followed in an academic rheumatology practice frequently reported symptoms thought to be typical of "chronic Epstein-Barr virus infection," but not of fibromyalgia: recurrent sore throat (54%), recurrent rash (47%), chronic cough (40%), recurrent adenopathy (33%), and recurrent low-grade fevers (28%). In 55% of the patients, illness had begun suddenly, with what seemed to be a viral syndrome. Antibody titers to Epstein-Barr virus in the patients with fibromyalgia, however, were not significantly different from those in age- and sex-matched "healthy" and "unhealthy" control subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buchwald
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Komaroff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral