DETECTION OF EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS AND CYTOMEGALOVIRUS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE

Patients with chronic fatigue as a major complaint frequently present with recurrent sore throat, and on physical examination they have hype remia and lymphoid hyperplasia of the pharyngeal area. Pharyngeal scra pings were obtained from 41 such patients and analyzed for Epstein-Bar r virus or cytomegalovirus DNA by colorimetric in situ hybridization. Results were compared with healthy control subjects matched for age an d sex. Epstein-Barr virus-DNA was detected more frequently in male pat ients, 5/9 (55.6%), than controls, 0/6 (0%), but there was no differen ce in frequency in female patients, 4/32 (12.5%), than control subject s, 1/29 (3.4%). Cytomegalovirus-DNA was detected infrequently in patie nts and controls, 13% versus 22 % respectively. The presence of EBV-DN A did not correlate with antibody titers nor with the complaint of sor e throat. Four of the five males who had positive EBV-DNA in the phary ngeal smears have now recovered.