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6
Research News from the USA.
Researchers John and Andrew Chia report in the Journal of Clinical Pathology (July 2007)
that endoscopy and stomach biopsy revealed evidence of enteroviral infection in 80 percent
of 165 CFS patients tested and just 20 percent of 34 control subjects. This study was also
presented in January at the 8th International Association for CFS/ME conference. As the
authors state, more study is needed to confirm these findings, but this report adds weight
to a growing body of evidence that infections can trigger or perpetuate CFS in at least a
subset of cases.
Media outlets in England have picked up the story and coverage in the U.S. is anticipated
given media calls to the CFIDS Association.
The press release is copied below.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY
Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to stomach virus
[Chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with chronic enterovirus infection of the stomach
Online First J Clin Pathol 2007; doi: 10.1136/jcp.2007.050054]
Chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME (myalgic encephalitis), is linked to a stomach
virus, suggests research published ahead of print in Journal of Clinical Pathology.
The researchers base their findings on 165 patients with ME, all of whom were subjected
to endoscopy because of longstanding gut complaints.
Endoscopy involves the threading of a long tube with a camera on the tip through the gullet
into the stomach.
Specimens of stomach tissue were also taken to search for viral proteins and compared
with specimens taken from healthy people and patients with other gut diseases none of
whom had been diagnosed with ME.
Patients with ME often have intermittent or persistent gut problems, including indigestion
and irritable bowel syndrome.
And viral infections, such as Epstein Barr virus (glandular fever), cytomegalovirus, and
parvovirus, among others, produce many of the symptoms associated with chronic fatigue
syndrome.
Enteroviruses, which infect the bowel, cause severe but short lasting respiratory and gut
infections.
There are more than 70 different types, and they head for the central nervous system,
heart and muscles.
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