Krueger, G R, Sander, C · Pathology, research and practice · 1989 · DOI
This review examines human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), a common virus that most people carry in a dormant state. When the immune system is weakened, this virus can reactivate and potentially cause long-lasting fatigue and other health problems. The authors discuss how HHV-6 might contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome and other conditions, particularly in people with weak immune systems.
This study is relevant because it proposes a direct mechanistic link between HHV-6 reactivation and chronic fatigue syndrome, a connection that has motivated decades of ME/CFS research. Understanding whether persistent viral infection or reactivation contributes to ME/CFS pathogenesis could guide future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients.
This review does not prove that HHV-6 causes ME/CFS or establish causal mechanisms—it presents a hypothesis based on observed associations. It does not provide epidemiological data comparing HHV-6 reactivation rates in ME/CFS patients versus healthy controls, nor does it establish what proportion of ME/CFS cases involve active HHV-6 infection. The abstract does not clarify whether findings apply specifically to postinfectious forms or all ME/CFS presentations.
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 →
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