Jones, J F, Williams, M, Schooley, R T et al. · Archives of internal medicine · 1988
This 1988 study tested whether people with ME/CFS had unusual antibody patterns against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common virus that causes mononucleosis. Researchers measured antibodies against viral enzymes that are only produced when EBV is actively replicating. A small group of ME/CFS patients with very high EBV antibody levels did show these unusual enzyme antibodies, similar to patterns seen in people with nasopharyngeal cancer.
This study provided early evidence that a subset of ME/CFS patients might have markers of persistent active EBV infection, potentially explaining some cases of the illness. The concerning observation of lymphoma development in patients with this specific antibody profile highlights the importance of identifying any subgroups at elevated cancer risk and understanding EBV's role in ME/CFS pathology.
This small observational study cannot prove that active EBV infection causes ME/CFS, nor does it establish how common this antibody pattern is in the broader ME/CFS population. The observed lymphoma cases are anecdotal and do not demonstrate a causal link to the antibody profile. Correlation between antibody levels and illness does not establish causation or clarify whether viral replication is a primary driver or a consequence of immune dysfunction.
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
Jones, J F, Williams, M, Schooley, R T, Robinson, C, & Glaser, R (1988). Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus-specific DNase and DNA polymerase in the chronic fatigue syndrome.. Archives of internal medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2843138/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-jones-1988-antibodies-epstein,
author = {Jones, J F and Williams, M and Schooley, R T and Robinson, C and Glaser, R},
title = {Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus-specific DNase and DNA polymerase in the chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Archives of internal medicine},
year = {1988},
note = {PubMed: 2843138},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jones-1988-antibodies-epstein},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jones-1988-antibodies-epstein
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