NO FINDINGS OF ENTEROVIRUSES IN SWEDISH PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUESYNDROME

Enteroviruses have been proposed to cause an immune complex disease in the chronic fatigue syndrome. Altogether 34 patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome, according to criteria of the Centers for Disease Co ntrol, USA, were! studied evenly over the seasons for the possible pre sence of a chronic enterovirus infection. In 11 patients, 1-5 faecal s amples were collected at shout 6 month intervals for virus isolation b efore and after acid treatment, followed by ultracentrifugation at pH 3 to dissolve possible enterovirus-antibody complexes. Another 14 feca l samples were subjected to routine virus isolation alone. Seven pairs of serum-cerebrospinal fluid samples were analysed for cross-reactive IgG antibody activity to enteroviruses. In 29 patients a muscle biops y was collected for enterovirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We we re unable to identify enteroviruses in any of these samples by any of these techniques. Our study does not confirm evidence for persistent e nterovirus infection in the chronic fatigue syndrome.