Antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6 and human herpesvirus 7 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
To test for an association between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and infections with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7), antibodies to these viruses were tested in the serum from three groups of individuals: (1) 10 CFS patients with chronic fatigue beginning with a clinical pattern of acute infectious mononucleosis [IM; true chronic IM (CIM)]; (2) 10 CFS patients whose illness did not start with acute IM (non-CIM), and (3) healthy controls. High EBV antibody titers were demonstrated in most patients. Antibodies to ZEBRA, a product of the immediate early EBV gene BZLF1, were detected in the serum of CFS patients at a higher frequency than in healthy controls. Antibody titers to HHV-6 and HHV-7 were also higher in the patients with CFS than in the controls. These results are consistent with the view that CFS patients may have reactivations of EBV, HHV-6 and HHV-7.
Sairenji
T
T
Department of Pathology, National Institute of Health, Tokyo, Japan.
Yamanishi
K
K
Tachibana
Y
Y
Bertoni
G
G
Kurata
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015654:Herpesvirus 6, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016199:Herpesvirus 7, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000276:immunology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014764:Viral Proteins; D000099192:CD69 Antigens; C063676:BZLF1 protein, Herpesvirus 4, Human