Tag: 1990

Attributions and self-esteem in depression and chronic fatigue syndromes

Abstract:

There is considerable overlap in symptomatology between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and affective disorder.

We report a comparison of depressive phenomenology and attributional style between a group of CFS subjects seen in a specialized medical setting, which included a high proportion with depression diagnosed by Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC), and depressed controls seen in a specialized psychiatric setting.

Significant symptomatic differences between the depressed CFS group and depressed controls were observed for features such as self-esteem and guilt as well as attribution of illness. All the CFS groups tended to attribute their symptoms to external causes whereas the depressed controls experienced inward attribution.

This may have resulted from differences in the severity of mood disorder between the samples, but it is also suggested that an outward style of attribution protects the depressed CFS patients from cognitive changes associated with low mood but at the expense of greater vulnerability towards somatic symptoms such as fatigue.

 

Source: Powell R, Dolan R, Wessely S. Attributions and self-esteem in depression and chronic fatigue syndromes. J Psychosom Res. 1990;34(6):665-73.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2290139

 

Neurasthenia in the 1980s: chronic mononucleosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and anxiety and depressive disorders

Abstract:

In the 1980s, patients suffering from unexplained fatigue and what seemed like a prolonged attack of acute mononucleosis were given the diagnosis of chronic mononucleosis or chronic infection with the Epstein-Barr virus.

Although the diagnosis has great appeal, the Epstein-Barr virus does not cause the syndrome (CFS) of chronic fatigue, which has been renamed and redefined chronic fatigue syndrome to remove the inference that the virus is its cause.

From a historical perspective, both syndromes represent the 1980s equivalent of neurasthenia, a disease of fatigue that influenced the development of psychiatric nosology. Because patients with depression and anxiety also have chronic fatigue and because most patients with CFS have an affective disorder, the assessment of organic causes of this syndrome requires careful psychiatric diagnosis and treatment.

Defining chronic fatigue syndrome as a medical disorder may deprive patients of competent treatment of their affective disorder.

 

Source: Greenberg DB. Neurasthenia in the 1980s: chronic mononucleosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and anxiety and depressive disorders. Psychosomatics. 1990 Spring;31(2):129-37. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2184452

 

Isolation of human herpesvirus-6 from clinical specimens using human fibroblast cultures

Abstract:

The isolation and characterization of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) has been hindered by the lack of cell lines useful for its rapid propagation. Recently, we have reported that the MRC-5 cell line (human diploid lung fibroblasts) was susceptible for HHV-6 infection.

In this study, we report on the isolation of HHV-6 from the peripheral blood or buffy coat of three chronic fatigue syndrome patients, one post-liver transplant patient, and one severe chronic active Epstein-Barr virus syndrome patient using the MRC-5 cell line.

Additionally, it was observed by Southern blot hybridization studies that four of five isolates had different restriction enzyme fragment patterns than the isolate obtained from the National Institutes of Health with Eco RI.

These data suggest the usefulness of the MRC-5 cell line in the isolation and characterization of HHV-6 from various patients.

 

Source: Luka J, Okano M, Thiele G. Isolation of human herpesvirus-6 from clinical specimens using human fibroblast cultures. J Clin Lab Anal. 1990;4(6):483-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2178187

 

Severe chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection syndrome and adenovirus type-2 infection

Abstract:

Four patients from 4 to 24 years of age (3 males, 1 female) with generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and intermittent fever associated with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection were investigated.

Laboratory data showed polyclonal gammopathy and a tendency for bone marrow suppression. Noteworthy were the extremely elevated immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody titers to Epstein-Barr viral capsid antigen (VCA) (range, 10,240-81,920) and early antigen (EA) (range, 1,280-40,960). All patients had IgA antibodies to VCA and EA. Subtle, heterogeneous immune functional defects were observed in all four patients. Another unusual feature was our inability to establish spontaneous or B95-8 EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) due to a marked cytopathic effect (CPE). Thus, we investigated for other viruses.

Both IgG and IgM antibodies to adenovirus type-2 (Ad-2) were positive by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence (IF) test, suggesting recent or activated Ad-2 infection had occurred. Dual active EBV and Ad-2 infections were likely etiologic in this severe chronic active EBV infection syndrome.

 

Source: Okano M, Thiele GM, Purtilo DT. Severe chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection syndrome and adenovirus type-2 infection. Am J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 1990 Summer;12(2):168-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2165745

 

Patient management of post-viral fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

A case definition for post-viral fatigue syndrome is proposed within which various subgroups of patients exist. Any one treatment may not apply to all the subgroups. In particular, patients’ experiences do not show that avoidance of exercise is maladaptive. It is proposed that the recently ill often try to exercise to fitness whereas the chronically ill have learnt to avoid exercise. Recovery is more likely to be achieved if patients learn about their illness and do not exhaust their available energy.

 

Source: Ho-Yen DO. Patient management of post-viral fatigue syndrome. Br J Gen Pract. 1990 Jan;40(330):37-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2107839

Note: You may read the full article here:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1371214/