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Investigation of retroviral involvement in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Folks TM, Heneine W, Khan A, Chapman L, Schonberger L.Investigation of retroviral involvement in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CIBA Foundation Symposium 173); pages 160-175, 1993.
Summary
This is a summary of a presentation made by Dr. Folks at a CIBA Foundation Symposium on CFS held in 1992. It summarized the evidence that the HTLV-II gag sequence marker did not distinguish CFS cases from healthy controls.
Abstract
Within the last few years significant efforts have been made to identify objective reliable diagnostic markers from individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). We report the absence of a previously described retroviral marker (HTLV-II gag) in a blinded study of CFS cases. Even with excellent reproducible sensitivities, this marker failed in repeated attempts to distinguish cases from controls. In addition, four other retroviruses (simian T cell leukemia virus, human spumavirus, bovine leukemia virus and simian retrovirus) were examined for their presence in these CFS cases and found to be absent. Our findings suggest that these agents, at least as markers, are non-distinguishing for CFS and that other factors may be controlling the resolution of an aetiology to this syndrome.
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