Gow, J W, Simpson, K, Schliephake, A et al. · Journal of clinical pathology · 1992 · DOI
Researchers tested blood and muscle tissue from 30 ME/CFS patients to see if a virus called a retrovirus might be causing the illness. They used sensitive laboratory techniques to look for viral genetic material. They found no evidence that retroviruses were present in any of the patients tested, suggesting that this particular type of virus is not responsible for ME/CFS.
In the early 1990s, retroviruses were hypothesized as potential ME/CFS triggers. This methodologically sound negative study helped redirect research focus away from retroviruses and toward other infectious agents, immune dysregulation, and neurobiological mechanisms—ultimately shaping more productive research directions.
This study does not prove that retroviruses play no role in any ME/CFS subset or that other viruses are not involved. It only examined specific retroviral sequences at one timepoint; reactivation of latent viruses or intermittent viral presence may not have been detected. The relatively small sample size limits the power to detect rare retroviral involvement.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Gow, J W, Simpson, K, Schliephake, A, Behan, W M, Morrison, L J, Cavanagh, H, et al. (1992). Search for retrovirus in the chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of clinical pathology. https://doi.org/10.1136/jcp.45.12.1058
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-gow-1992-search-retrovirus,
author = {Gow, J W and Simpson, K and Schliephake, A and Behan, W M and Morrison, L J and Cavanagh, H and Rethwilm, A and Behan, P O},
title = {Search for retrovirus in the chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of clinical pathology},
year = {1992},
doi = {10.1136/jcp.45.12.1058},
note = {PubMed: 1479030},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/gow-1992-search-retrovirus},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/gow-1992-search-retrovirus
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.