ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC IMMUNOCYTOLOGICAL PROFILES IN CHRONIC-FATIGUE-SYNDROME

Structures consistent in size, shape and character with various stages of a Lentivirus replicative cycle were observed by electron microscop y in 12-day peripheral-blood lymphocyte cultures from 10 of 17 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients and not in controls. Attempts to identify a lymphoid phenotype containing these structures by immunogold labellin g failed and the results of reverse-transcriptase assay of culture sup ernatants were equivocal. The study was blind and case-controlled, pat ients being paired with age, sex and ethnically matched healthy volunt eers. Prescreening of subjects included the common metabolic and immun ological disorders, functional conditions and a virus-screen against h epatitis B and C, Epstein-Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus and Human Immuno deficiency Virus. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.