Absence of parvovirus B19 infection in chronic fatigue syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the presence of infection with parvovirus B19 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) who also had rheumatologic symptoms and mild hematologic abnormalities.


METHODS
Seven patients meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working case definition for CFS who also had mild leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or anemia were studied. Bone marrow was aspirated from each patient, and examined for morphologic abnormalities, including features seen in marrow infections with parvovirus B19, as well as for parvoviral DNA, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Serum obtained at the time of marrow aspiration was also evaluated for parvoviral DNA, using the PCR method, and was examined for the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies to the virus.


RESULTS
No evidence of marrow involvement with parvovirus B19 was found in any patient. One patient had antibody evidence of a transient parvoviral infection, during which time an underlying thrombocytopenia worsened.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite examining a selected group of patients thought most likely to have parvoviral infection, based on clinical and hematologic measures, no evidence of clinically important parvoviral infection was noted. Thus, it seems unlikely that parvovirus B19 plays a role in CFS, even though it has been associated with fibromyalgia, a clinically similar syndrome.
Ilaria
R L
RL
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Komaroff
A L
AL
Fagioli
L R
LR
Moloney
W C
WC
True
C A
CA
Naides
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016731:Erythema Infectiosum / Q000150:complications; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016732:Parvovirus B19, Human