GB virus-C – a virus without a disease: We cannot give it chronic fatigue syndrome

Details

• Alternative Title:
  BMC Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Jones, James F ; Kulkarni, Prasad S ; Butera, Salvatore T ; Reeves, William C
• Description:
  Background
  
  Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness in search of an infectious etiology. GB virus-C (GBV-C) virus is a flavivirus with cell tropism and host defense induction qualities compatible with a role in producing the syndrome. The GBV-C genome is detectable in 4% of the population and 12% of the population is seropositive. The present study evaluated the association between infection with GBV and CFS.
  
  Methods
  
  We used a commercial EIA to detect antibodies against the GBV-C E2 protein and a quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay to detect active GBV-C infection. Sera were from a case control study of CFS in Atlanta, Georgia. The Fisher's exact two-tailed test was used for statistical analysis.
  
  Results
  
  Two of 12 CFS patients and one of 21 controls were seropositive for prior GBV-C infection and one control had viral RNA detected, indicating active infection. The results are not statistically different.
  
  Conclusion
  
  We found no evidence that active or past infection with GBV is associated with CFS.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Antibodies, Viral Case-Control Studies Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Female Flaviviridae Infections GB Virus C Humans Male RNA, Viral
• Source:
  BMC Infect Dis. 2005; 5:78.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Volume:
  5
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:dcad37eeea3921e80ae5f679df191770556f0cd458f68a9f0554da611c4dc847
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/3396/cdc_3396_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 233.15 KB ]