Category: Viruses

The disease associations of the antibody response against the Epstein-Barr virus transactivator protein ZEBRA can be separated into different epitopes

Abstract:

The BamHI-Z-encoded Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication activator (ZEBRA) is a key mediator of the switch from latency to productive cycle in EBV virus. Antibodies against ZEBRA are a marker of EBV reactivation and are regularly found among patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) or nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but are only rarely found among healthy EBV-seropositive donors.

In order to define the serologically reactive epitopes in the ZEBRA protein, we synthesized a set of overlapping peptides and tested them for reactivity with serum samples from EBV-seronegative persons, patients with NPC, IM, chronic fatigue syndrome, lymphoma or from healthy donors. Three major EBV-specific epitopes were found.

These epitopes were further defined and optimized using substitution or truncation analogues of the peptides. Reactivity with epitope number 22 was found in 63% of NPC patients’ sera, with < 2% of healthy donors’ sera being positive. Serological reactivity with epitope number 19 was associated with IM (57% positive, 5% healthy donors positive).

Serum antibodies against epitope 1 were found among healthy donors, but were significantly elevated among patients with NPC, IM or lymphomas. In conclusion, different serologically reactive epitopes in the ZEBRA protein associate with different EBV-associated diseases.

 

Source: Tedeschi R, Foong YT, Cheng HM, dePaoli P, Lehtinen T, Elfborg T, Dillner J. The disease associations of the antibody response against the Epstein-Barr virus transactivator protein ZEBRA can be separated into different epitopes. J Gen Virol. 1995 Jun;76 ( Pt 6):1393-400. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7540196

Note: You can read the full study HERE.

 

Absence of parvovirus B19 infection in chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of infection with parvovirus B19 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) who also had rheumatologic symptoms and mild hematologic abnormalities.

METHODS: Seven patients meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention working case definition for CFS who also had mild leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, or anemia were studied. Bone marrow was aspirated from each patient, and examined for morphologic abnormalities, including features seen in marrow infections with parvovirus B19, as well as for parvoviral DNA, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Serum obtained at the time of marrow aspiration was also evaluated for parvoviral DNA, using the PCR method, and was examined for the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies to the virus.

RESULTS: No evidence of marrow involvement with parvovirus B19 was found in any patient. One patient had antibody evidence of a transient parvoviral infection, during which time an underlying thrombocytopenia worsened.

CONCLUSION: Despite examining a selected group of patients thought most likely to have parvoviral infection, based on clinical and hematologic measures, no evidence of clinically important parvoviral infection was noted. Thus, it seems unlikely that parvovirus B19 plays a role in CFS, even though it has been associated with fibromyalgia, a clinically similar syndrome.

 

Source: Ilaria RL Jr, Komaroff AL, Fagioli LR, Moloney WC, True CA, Naides SJ. Absence of parvovirus B19 infection in chronic fatigue syndrome. Arthritis Rheum. 1995 May;38(5):638-41. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7748220

 

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the chronic fatigue syndrome: normal virus load in blood and normal immunologic reactivity in the EBV regression assay

Abstract:

The etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown. Some patients have high antibody titers to viral capsid antigen (VCA) and early antigen (EA) of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), suggesting that reactivation of EBV is involved. We investigated virus load (spontaneous transformation) and immunologic regression of EBV-induced transformation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 10 selected patients with CFS who had high antibody titers to VCA and EA. The outcome was compared with that for nine healthy controls and one patient with severe chronic active EBV infection (SCAEBV). There were no significant differences in viral load between patients and healthy controls. Immunologic regression of in vitro-transformed PBMCs was also equally efficient in patients and controls. The SCAEBV-infected patient and two controls, who were all seronegative for EBV, showed impaired regression. In conclusion, we were unable to demonstrate a role for reactivation of EBV in CFS, even in selected patients with high titers of antibody to VCA and EA of EBV.

 

Source: Swanink CM, van der Meer JW, Vercoulen JH, Bleijenberg G, Fennis JF, Galama JM. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the chronic fatigue syndrome: normal virus load in blood and normal immunologic reactivity in the EBV regression assay. Clin Infect Dis. 1995 May;20(5):1390-2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7620030

 

Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus Infection as a Cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Travelers to Tropical Countries

Although for research purposes the clinical definition of the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is well established, many aspects of this illness such as its etiology, pathogenesis, and treatment are still unknown. Even the clinical definition is subject to controversy, and although much effort has been expended in the investigation of the clinical aspects of the syndrome, little is known about its epidemiology.

This article considers a cohort of 14 cases that meet the criteria of CFS.The signs and symptoms of CFS in these cases manifested during, or shortly after, a trip to a tropical country.These signs and symptoms appeared to be related to cytomegalovirus (MV) or Epstein-Barr virus infection (EBV).

You can read the full article here: http://jtm.oxfordjournals.org/content/jtm/2/1/41.full.pdf

 

Source: Gascón J, Marcos T, Vidal J, Garcia-Forcada A, Corachán M. Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus Infection as a Cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Travelers to Tropical Countries. J Travel Med. 1995 Mar 1;2(1):41-44. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9815359

 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Abstract:

Despite its new name, chronic fatigue syndrome is not a new disease. This chapter reviews current definitions, emphasizing that chronic fatigue syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion. The author also discusses viral infections that are associated with CFS, including Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, herpesvirus type 6, enteroviruses, and retroviruses.

 

Source: Glover DM. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Adolesc Med. 1995 Feb;6(1):101-114. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10358305

 

Detection of enterovirus-specific RNA in serum: the relationship to chronic fatigue

Abstract:

The serum of 88 chronic fatigue patients was screened for enteroviral specific sequences by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The PCR method used was “nested” PCR targetting the 5′ nontranslated region of the enteroviral genome which yielded a final fragment length of 264 base pairs. Samples were obtained from patients during 1990-1991.

In addition, buffy coat specimens and stool specimens were examined in some patients. Samples from two cohorts of comparison individuals were also obtained. The comparison groups were firstly, acutely ill individuals with symptoms consistent with a presumed enteroviral infection (matched by age, sex, and date of receipt of specimen) and secondly, healthy individuals (matched by age and date of receipt of specimen).

Enteroviral specific sequences were detected in 36 of 88 serum samples from chronic fatigue patients, 22 of 82 acutely ill individuals, and 3 of 126 healthy individuals. The enteroviral PCR positivity did not correlate with any one particular feature of chronic fatigue nor did it reflect any history of illness at onset of fatigue, duration of fatigue, or age of patient.

These results provide new evidence for the presence of enteroviral specific sequences in serum, buffy coat, and stool samples in many patients with chronic fatigue. This may reflect a persistent enterovirus infection in a proportion of chronic fatigue patients.

 

Source: Clements GB, McGarry F, Nairn C, Galbraith DN. Detection of enterovirus-specific RNA in serum: the relationship to chronic fatigue. J Med Virol. 1995 Feb;45(2):156-61. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7775934

 

Acute encephalopathy induced in cats with a stealth virus isolated from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

A simian cytomegalovirus-related stealth virus, isolated from a patient with the chronic fatigue syndrome, induced an acute neurological illness when inoculated into cats. Histological examination of brain tissue showed foci of cells with cytoplasmic vacuolization and an absence of any inflammatory reaction. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of herpes-like viral particles and viral-like products in the brain of an inoculated animal. These findings support the role of stealth viruses in the pathogenesis of human neurological diseases and provide an animal model to evaluate potential antiviral therapy.

 

Source: Martin WJ, Glass RT. Acute encephalopathy induced in cats with a stealth virus isolated from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome. Pathobiology. 1995;63(3):115-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8821627

 

Antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6 and human herpesvirus 7 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

To test for an association between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and infections with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7), antibodies to these viruses were tested in the serum from three groups of individuals: (1) 10 CFS patients with chronic fatigue beginning with a clinical pattern of acute infectious mononucleosis [IM; true chronic IM (CIM)]; (2) 10 CFS patients whose illness did not start with acute IM (non-CIM), and (3) healthy controls.

High EBV antibody titers were demonstrated in most patients. Antibodies to ZEBRA, a product of the immediate early EBV gene BZLF1, were detected in the serum of CFS patients at a higher frequency than in healthy controls. Antibody titers to HHV-6 and HHV-7 were also higher in the patients with CFS than in the controls. These results are consistent with the view that CFS patients may have reactivations of EBV, HHV-6 and HHV-7.

 

Source: Sairenji T, Yamanishi K, Tachibana Y, Bertoni G, Kurata T. Antibody responses to Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6 and human herpesvirus 7 in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Intervirology. 1995;38(5):269-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8724857

 

Parvovirus B19 infection–persistence and genetic variation

Abstract:

53 patients with acute B19 infection were studied; symptoms at acute infection were rash and arthralgia (n = 26), rash (n = 7), arthralgia (n = 16), aplastic crisis (n = 3), and intrauterine fetal death (n = 1). These patients were followed for 26-85 months (mean 57 months) and re-assessed for persistent symptoms, anti-B19 antibodies, and B19 DNA. At follow-up, 7 individuals were positive for serum B19 DNA, compared with none of the controls (2-tailed p value = 0.016). All 7 of those persistently infected were women, 3 of whom had symptoms; 1 had a chronic haemolytic anaemia (initial presentation was aplastic crisis); 1 had persistent arthralgia in both knees (initial presentation was bilateral knee arthralgia); and 1 had arthralgia in one knee and chronic fatigue syndrome (initial presentation was bilateral arthralgia in knees and shoulders). For the 7 persistently infected patients, serum from the time of diagnosis of acute B19 infection was available for 4, all of which contained B19 DNA. With single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) assay of these 11 PCR products, identical SSCP types were demonstrated in 5 of 7 follow-up isolates. In 2 of the 4 cases for which both acute and follow-up PCR product was available, the SSCP type of the follow-up product was different from that of the acute product. Two B19 virus types were demonstrated in one patient (with persistent arthralgia and chronic fatigue syndrome) at follow-up assessment.

 

Source: Kerr JR, Curran MD, Moore JE, Murphy PG. Parvovirus B19 infection–persistence and genetic variation. Scand J Infect Dis. 1995;27(6):551-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8685632

 

The Epstein-Barr virus and chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Lately discovered chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection. The objective of this paper was to detect this syndrome in our patients. 31 patients with cured acute infective mononucleosis were examined by questionnaire, physical check-up and laboratory analyses in order to detect disorders characteristic for chronic fatigue syndrome. Six months after they had been cured, out of 7 patients 5 patients complained of frequent sore throat, fatigue and exhaustion, and a year later, all 5 patients were sleepy and tired all the time. More than a year after the acute illness 19 patients were examined and in 5.6% frequent sore throat and enlarged neck lymph nodes occurred. The gathered results point to disorders characteristic for chronic fatigue syndrome in a high percentage. This pilot study should only be the beginning of examinations of this kind.

 

Source: Jovanović J, Cvjetković D, Brkić S, Madle-Samardzija N. The Epstein-Barr virus and chronic fatigue syndrome. Med Pregl. 1995;48(11-12):391-3. [Article in Croatian] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8643052