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Virus-related
Muscle Damage Tied to Chronic Fatigue
(NY, Reuters Health, 10/31/03)
Noting that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) sometimes occurs
after a virus infection, Dr. R. J. M. Lane and colleagues at
the Imperial College in London, looked for signs of
enteroviruses in muscle tissue samples taken from 48 CFS
patients and 29 healthy individuals. The muscles of 10 of the
CFS patients tested positive for enterovirus RNAAll 29, which
resembles the coxsackie B virus; whereas, the muscle samples
for all of the control subjects were virus-free. In addition,
when the researchers conducted exercise tests, 90% of the
patients who had viruses in their muscles responded with
abnormal lactic acid readings, indicating compromised muscle
function. These findings suggest that virus-induced muscle
dysfunction may be a component in some cases of CFS. |
Article Summary