title: Evidence for a heritable predisposition to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) came to attention in the 1980s, but initial investigations did not find organic causes. Now decades later, the etiology of CFS has yet to be understood, and the role of genetic predisposition in CFS remains controversial. Recent reports of CFS association with the retrovirus xenotropic murine leukemic virus-related virus (XMRV) or other murine leukemia related retroviruses (MLV) might also suggest underlying genetic implications within the host immune system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present analyses of familial clustering of CFS in a computerized genealogical resource linking multiple generations of genealogy data with medical diagnosis data of a large Utah health care system. We compare pair-wise relatedness among cases to expected relatedness in the Utah population, and we estimate risk for CFS for first, second, and third degree relatives of CFS cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed significant excess relatedness of CFS cases compared to that expected in this population. Significant excess relatedness was observed for both close (p <0.001) and distant relationships (p = 0.010). We also observed significant excess CFS relative risk among first (2.70, 95% CI: 1.56-4.66), second (2.34, 95% CI: 1.31-4.19), and third degree relatives (1.93, 95% CI: 1.21-3.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These analyses provide strong support for a heritable contribution to predisposition to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A population of high-risk CFS pedigrees has been identified, the study of which may provide additional understanding.
authors: Pharmacotherapy Outcomes Research Center, Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, USA. frederick.albright@pharm.utah.edu
authors: Frederick
authors: F
authors: Albright
authors: Kathleen
authors: K
authors: Light
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Light
authors: Lucinda
authors: L
authors: Bateman
authors: Lisa A
authors: LA
authors: Cannon-Albright
references: J Nerv Ment Dis. 2000 Sep;188(9):568-76
references: 11009329
references: Ann Hum Genet. 1989 Oct;53(4):339-55
references: 2624429
references: Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007 Nov 1;176(9):865-70
references: 17690335
references: Hum Hered. 2008;65(4):209-20
references: 18073491
references: J Infect Dis. 2008 Jan 1;197(1):18-24
references: 18171280
references: Ann Intern Med. 1994 Dec 15;121(12):953-9
references: 7978722
references: Clin Exp Immunol. 2004 Feb;135(2):294-302
references: 14738459
references: Psychiatr Genet. 2001 Sep;11(3):123-8
references: 11702053
references: PLoS One. 2010 Jan 06;5(1):e8519
references: 20066031
references: Nat Genet. 1996 Mar;12(3):333-7
references: 8589730
references: Science. 2006 May 5;312(5774):669-71
references: 16675668
references: J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2009 May;91(5):1136-42
references: 19411462
references: Arch Intern Med. 1999 Oct 11;159(18):2129-37
references: 10527290
references: Twin Res Hum Genet. 2007 Oct;10(5):729-33
references: 17903114
references: J Neurosurg. 2003 Oct;99(4):637-43
references: 14567597
references: Arch Intern Med. 2003 Jul 14;163(13):1530-6
references: 12860574
references: Am J Community Psychol. 1995 Aug;23(4):557-68
references: 8546110
references: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Sep 7;107(36):15874-9
references: 20798047
references: J Nerv Ment Dis. 1994 Apr;182(4):243-4
references: 10678325
references: Nat Genet. 2001 Feb;27(2):172-80
references: 11175785
references: Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Mar;15(2):55-9
references: 15036250
references: Psychol Med. 2005 Sep;35(9):1327-36
references: 16168155
references: Retrovirology. 2010 Jul 01;7:57
references: 20594299
references: Am J Hum Genet. 1984 Jul;36(4):836-57
references: 6591796
references: Nat Genet. 1994 Sep;8(1):23-6
references: 7987388
references: Am J Med. 1998 Sep 28;105(3A):83S-90S
references: 9790487
references: Twin Res. 2001 Apr;4(2):94-102
references: 11665341
references: J Pain. 2008 Feb;9(2):122-45
references: 18088561
references: J Pain. 2009 Oct;10(10):1099-112
references: 19647494
references: Science. 2009 Oct 23;326(5952):585-9
references: 19815723
references: Psychosom Med. 2001 Nov-Dec;63(6):936-43
references: 11719632
references: Auton Neurosci. 2007 Dec 30;137(1-2):94-101
references: 17851136
references: Science. 1994 Oct 7;266(5182):66-71
references: 7545954
references: Dyn Med. 2008 Apr 08;7:6
references: 18397528
references: Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2007 Nov;115(10):634-40
references: 18058597
references: Cost Eff Resour Alloc. 2004 Jun 21;2(1):4
references: 15210053
references: Psychophysiology. 2010 Jul 1;47(4):615-24
references: 20230500
references: JAMA. 2006 Jun 7;295(21):2466-7
references: 16757709