title: An unbiased metagenomic search for infectious agents using monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic fatigue syndrome is an idiopathic syndrome widely suspected of having an infectious or immune etiology. We applied an unbiased metagenomic approach to try to identify known or novel infectious agents in the serum of 45 cases with chronic fatigue syndrome or idiopathic chronic fatigue. Controls were the unaffected monozygotic co-twins of cases, and serum samples were obtained at the same place and time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No novel DNA or RNA viral signatures were confidently identified. Four affected twins and no unaffected twins evidenced viremia with GB virus C (8.9% vs. 0%, p = 0.019), and one affected twin had previously undetected hepatitis C viremia. An excess of GB virus C viremia in cases with chronic fatigue requires confirmation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current, impairing chronic fatigue was not robustly associated with viremia detectable in serum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. pfsulliv@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Patrick F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Allander
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lysholm
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacks
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Evengård
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003141:Communicable Diseases; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D029407:GB virus C / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D056186:Metagenomics / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics*; D014766:Viremia / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral