E2 ModerateCohortPEM not requiredCross-Sectional
IgM serum antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus are uniquely present in a subset of patients with the chronic fatigue syndrome.
Lerner, A Martin, Beqaj, Safedin H, Deeter, Robert G et al.·In vivo (Athens, Greece)·2004
Researchers tested blood samples from 58 ME/CFS patients and 68 healthy controls for antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common virus that causes mononucleosis. They found that about half of the ME/CFS patients (33 out of 58) had elevated levels of a specific type of antibody called IgM against EBV, while none of the healthy controls had this pattern. These antibody levels stayed elevated in ME/CFS patients for up to 3.5 years, suggesting this test might help identify a particular subgroup of ME/CFS patients.
Immune System