Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
Clin Infect Dis. 2013 May;56(10):1394-400. doi: 10.1093/cid/cit086. Epub 2013 Feb 13.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complex, heterogeneous disease characterized by debilitating fatigue that is not improved with bed rest and worsens after physical activity or mental exertion. Despite extensive research into a cause of CFS, no definitive etiology has been determined; however, a large percentage of CFS patients note an acute infectious event that triggers their fatigue.
Blood and saliva were collected from 39 CFS cases and 9 healthy control subjects. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were tested for human endogenous retrovirus-K18 (HERV-K18) env transcripts using a TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). In addition, viral copy number of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7) were measured in both saliva and PBMCs using TaqMan qPCRs. Transcript levels and viral copy number were compared to patient CFS symptom severity.
HERV-K18 env transcripts were not significantly different between healthy control subjects and CFS patients. Also, HERV-K18 env transcripts did not correlate with HHV-6 viral copy number or HHV-7 viral copy number in either PBMCs or saliva. HHV-6 viral copy number and HHV-7 viral copy number in both PBMCs and saliva were not significantly different between healthy control subjects and CFS patients. HERV-K18 env transcripts, HHV-6 viral copy number, and HHV-7 viral copy number did not correlate with CFS symptom severity.
We fail to demonstrate a difference in HERV-K18 env transcripts, HHV-6 viral copy number, and HHV-7 viral copy number between CFS patients and healthy controls. Our data do not support the hypothesis of reactivation of HHV-6 or HHV-7 in CFS.
慢性疲劳综合征（CFS）是一种复杂的、异质性疾病，其特征是使人虚弱的疲劳，这种疲劳不会因卧床休息而改善，反而会在体力活动或脑力劳动后加重。尽管对 CFS 的病因进行了广泛的研究，但仍未确定明确的病因；然而，很大比例的 CFS 患者注意到急性感染事件会引发他们的疲劳。
从 39 例 CFS 病例和 9 例健康对照者中采集血液和唾液。使用 TaqMan 定量聚合酶链反应（qPCR）检测外周血单个核细胞（PBMC）中人内源性逆转录病毒-K18（HERV-K18）env 转录本。此外，使用 TaqMan qPCR 测量唾液和 PBMC 中人类疱疹病毒-6（HHV-6）和人类疱疹病毒-7（HHV-7）的病毒拷贝数。将转录本水平和病毒拷贝数与患者 CFS 症状严重程度进行比较。
健康对照组和 CFS 患者之间 HERV-K18 env 转录本无显著差异。此外，在 PBMC 或唾液中，HERV-K18 env 转录本与 HHV-6 病毒拷贝数或 HHV-7 病毒拷贝数均无相关性。健康对照组和 CFS 患者 PBMC 和唾液中的 HHV-6 病毒拷贝数和 HHV-7 病毒拷贝数无显著差异。HERV-K18 env 转录本、HHV-6 病毒拷贝数和 HHV-7 病毒拷贝数与 CFS 症状严重程度均无相关性。
我们未能证明 CFS 患者与健康对照组之间 HERV-K18 env 转录本、HHV-6 病毒拷贝数和 HHV-7 病毒拷贝数存在差异。我们的数据不支持 HHV-6 或 HHV-7 在 CFS 中重新激活的假说。
