Krueger, G R, Koch, B, Hoffmann, A et al. · In vivo (Athens, Greece) · 2001
This study followed 10 ME/CFS patients for two years to understand how a virus called HHV-6 might be involved in their illness. Researchers measured virus levels and immune cell counts in the patients' blood over time. They found that ME/CFS patients had slightly elevated virus levels and abnormal immune responses, different from what happens during acute HHV-6 infection.
This study provides evidence that persistent HHV-6 infection in ME/CFS may drive a specific pattern of immune dysregulation—characterized by increased cell death and impaired T-cell responses—distinct from normal acute viral infection. Understanding these immune abnormalities could lead to targeted biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for ME/CFS patients with active herpesvirus infection.
This study does not prove that HHV-6 causes ME/CFS, only that persistent infection correlates with abnormal immune markers in this patient group. The small sample size (n=10) and lack of matched controls limits generalizability. The findings are descriptive and do not establish causality or explain whether HHV-6 is a primary driver or secondary consequence of ME/CFS.
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
Krueger, G R, Koch, B, Hoffmann, A, Rojo, J, Brandt, M E, Wang, G, et al. (2001). Dynamics of chronic active herpesvirus-6 infection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: data acquisition for computer modeling.. In vivo (Athens, Greece). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11887330/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-krueger-2001-dynamics-chronic,
author = {Krueger, G R and Koch, B and Hoffmann, A and Rojo, J and Brandt, M E and Wang, G and Buja, L M},
title = {Dynamics of chronic active herpesvirus-6 infection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome: data acquisition for computer modeling.},
journal = {In vivo (Athens, Greece)},
year = {2001},
note = {PubMed: 11887330},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/krueger-2001-dynamics-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/krueger-2001-dynamics-chronic
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