Williams PhD, Marshall V, Cox, Brandon, Lafuse PhD, William P et al. · Clinical therapeutics · 2019 · DOI
This study explores whether a protein from the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may trigger brain inflammation in ME/CFS patients. Researchers found that this viral protein can change how brain cells function and alter important chemical pathways involved in energy, mood, and pain processing. The findings suggest that in some ME/CFS patients, this viral protein might contribute to fatigue, pain, and thinking difficulties.
This study provides a potential biological mechanism explaining neuroinflammation in a subset of ME/CFS patients and identifies EBV dUTPase as a candidate therapeutic target. Understanding the specific molecular pathways disrupted could lead to targeted treatments addressing fatigue, pain, and cognitive symptoms. The finding that 30-53% of ME/CFS patients have antibodies against multiple viral dUTPases suggests this mechanism may be clinically relevant for patient stratification.
This study does not prove that EBV dUTPase causes ME/CFS or that it is the primary mechanism in all patients—it demonstrates association and in vitro/animal effects only. The elevated antibodies in patient serum are correlational findings and do not establish active viral protein as the causative agent. The relevance of mouse models to human ME/CFS pathophysiology remains to be validated in human CNS tissue studies.
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
Williams PhD, Marshall V, Cox, Brandon, Lafuse PhD, William P, & Ariza, Maria Eugenia (2019). Epstein-Barr Virus dUTPase Induces Neuroinflammatory Mediators: Implications for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.. Clinical therapeutics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2019.04.009
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-williams-phd-2019-epstein-barr,
author = {Williams PhD, Marshall V and Cox, Brandon and Lafuse PhD, William P and Ariza, Maria Eugenia},
title = {Epstein-Barr Virus dUTPase Induces Neuroinflammatory Mediators: Implications for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.},
journal = {Clinical therapeutics},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1016/j.clinthera.2019.04.009},
note = {PubMed: 31040055},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/williams-phd-2019-epstein-barr},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/williams-phd-2019-epstein-barr
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