Fegan K G, Behan P O, Bell E J
J R Coll Gen Pract. 1983 Jun;33(251):335-7.
The relationship between the group B Coxsackieviruses and a wide variety of illnesses, particularly pleurodynia and myo/pericarditis, is already well established. The detection of raised levels of neutralizing antibody to these viruses in a group of patients in a rural practice presenting with an illness resembling myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) was therefore unexpected. This is a most distressing and debilitating illness for the patient and the affected family. What is the immunological failure in these patients which apparently allows this virus to persist causing such unusual and bizarre illness? At present ME is probably much commoner than is realized, the majority of patients being given the dismissive diagnosis of psychoneurosis.
B组柯萨奇病毒与多种疾病,尤其是胸膜炎性肌痛和心肌/心包炎之间的关系已得到充分证实。因此,在一组农村诊所中患有类似肌痛性脑脊髓炎(ME)疾病的患者中检测到针对这些病毒的中和抗体水平升高,这是出乎意料的。对于患者及其受影响的家庭来说,这是一种极其痛苦和使人衰弱的疾病。这些患者的免疫功能为何会出现缺陷,从而显然使这种病毒得以持续存在并引发如此罕见和奇异的疾病?目前,ME可能比人们意识到的更为常见,大多数患者被轻率地诊断为精神神经症。