An unbiased metagenomic search for infectious agents using monozygotic twins discordantfor chronic fatigue

• Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome is an idiopathic syndrome widely suspected of having an infectious orimmune etiology. We applied an unbiased metagenomic approach to try to identify known or novel infectiousagents in the serum of 45 cases with chronic fatigue syndrome or idiopathic chronic fatigue. Controls were theunaffected monozygotic co-twins of cases, and serum samples were obtained at the same place and time.Results: No novel DNA or RNA viral signatures were confidently identified. Four affected twins and no unaffectedtwins evidenced viremia with GB virus C (8.9% vs. 0%, p = 0.019), and one affected twin had previously undetectedhepatitis C viremia. An excess of GB virus C viremia in cases with chronic fatigue requires confirmation.Conclusions: Current, impairing chronic fatigue was not robustly associated with viremia detectable in serum.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Mikrobiologi inom det medicinska området (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Microbiology in the medical area (hsv//eng)

Keyword

NATURAL SCIENCES

NATURVETENSKAP

gb-virus-c; dna-sequences; blood-donors; disease; identification; definition; registry; update; sample

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)