Persistent virus infection of muscle in postviral fatigue syndrome

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Nucleic acid was extracted from muscle biopsy samples from a series of highly selected patients suffering from chronic muscle fatiguability following a viral infection (Postviral Fatigue Syndrome: PVFS). Samples were examined for the presence of enteroviral RNA sequences or Epstein-Barr (EBV) virus DNA sequences by molecular hybridsation as these two agents have been implicated by reterospective serology in the aetiology of PVFS. We found enteroviral RNA in 24% of bioposy samples and EBV DNA in a further 9% of biopsy samples: no biopsy was positive for both enteroviral we found that the persisting virus is defective in control of RNA replication as both strands of enteroviral RNA are present in similar amounts: this is unlike the asymmetric synthesis of genomic RNA seen in a productive, cytolytic enterovirus infection. The implications of these data in relation to mechanisms of viral persistence and muscle dysfuction are discussed.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: