Prevalence of IgM and IgG Antibody to HHV-6 and HHV-8 and Results of Plasma PCR to HHV-6 and HHV-7 in a Group of CFS Patients and Healthy Donors

ABSTRACTHuman herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) is a beta herpes virus that was first described in 1986 and which occurs in the form of at least two variants, A and B. Healthy donors in the general population are carriers for mainly the B variant, in whom 90% harbor the DNA of this type in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC). A higher prevalence of this virus has been detected by testing of plasma and PBMNCs by IFA, ELISA and by the nested PCR technique, in addition to direct culture for HHV-6 in certain groups of immunesuppressed patients such as those with multiple sclerosis and HIV. It has also been isolated to a greater degree using these techniques from patients who meet the case definition for the chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). We determined IgG and IgM antibody titers to HHV-6; IgG to HHV-8 and performed PCR testing for HHV-6 on the plasma of 46 patients with CFS and on 7 healthy donors (HD). We also performed PCR testing for HHV-7 on 15 CFS patients and on 4 HD(s). We found a higher prevalence ...