none
of the controls. In a previous study (Kerr et al, 2001), 4 of 5 patients
with B19-associated
CFS (ie patients followed from the time of detection of anti B19 IgM whose
CFS-like
symptom onset occurred comtemporaneously with detection of anti-B19 IgM, and
whose
symptoms persisted such they later fulfilled diagnostic criteria for CFS)
exhibited B19
DNAaemia at follow-up. Therefore, this finding may suggest that the disease
in these 11
patients, may have been somehow induced by acute B19 infection. ****Such
patients have
previously been shown to respond very well to intravenous immunoglobulin
(IVIG)****, the
only specific treatment for parvovirus B19 infection (Kerr et al, 2003). In
patients with
antibodies to anti-B19 NS1, but without parvovirus B19 DNAaemia, it is
possible that the
parvovirus infection was latent and reactivated at a low level."
References from above:
Kerr JR, Barah F, Mattey DL, Laing I, Hopkins SJ, Hutchinson IV, Tyrrell DA.
(2001). Circulating tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma are
detectable
during acute and convalescent parvovirus B19 infection and are associated
with
prolonged and chronic fatigue. J Gen Virol 82:3011-3019.
[TK: This is available on the CFS Research Foundation's publications
webpage: http://www.cfsrf.com/Publications.htm - direct address:
http://www.cfsrf.com/pdf/JGV.pdf ]
Kerr JR, Cunniffe VS, Kelleher P, Bernstein RM, Bruce IN. (2003). Successful
intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in parvovirus B19-associated
chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS). Clin Infect Dis 36:e100-6.
[TK: This is available on the CFS Research Foundation's publications
webpage: http://www.cfsrf.com/Publications.htm - direct address:
http://www.cfsrf.com/pdf/ivig.pdf]
-------From Tom K.--------
Reminder that there were in total 200 patients with "CFS/ME" from the US and
UK in this study.
This would mean that 11/200=5.5% of CFS patients on average would have
Parvovirus B19 DNAaemia that could be found by testing at follow-up (i.e.
testing at the start of the illness isn't required) and be prime candidates
for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)
As mentioned above, the 2001 study found that 4/5 (=80%) of those with
parvovirus B19-associated CFS exhibited B19
DNAaemia at follow-up. [In the 2001 study, the 39 patients with parvovirus
who were followed were contacted after a follow-up period of 2-37 months
(mean of 22 +/- 5 months)]. In the 2009 paper, the mean duration of illness
for the whole sample was 3.67 years or 44 months.
If it was the same rate at 3.67 years, a further 5.5%/4=1.375% would be
candidates for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (on top of the
aforementioned 5.5%) as their illness would have started with Parvovirus B19
(i.e. it would appear that 6.875% of cases of CFS started with Parvovirus
B19).
If the rate at 3.67 years went down to 60% (say - random figure less than
80% chosen as being less than 80), a further (5.5%/60)*40=3.67% would be
candidates for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (on top of the
aforementioned 5.5%) as their illness would have started with Parvovirus B19
(i.e. that would give a figure of 9.17% of cases of CFS started with
Parvovirus B19).
---------------------------------------------
Send posts to CO-CURE@listserv.nodak.edu
Unsubscribe at http://www.co-cure.org/unsub.htm
Co-Cure Archives: http://listserv.nodak.edu/archives/co-cure.html
---------------------------------------------
Co-Cure's purpose is to provide information from across the spectrum of
opinion concerning medical, research and political aspects of ME/CFS and/or
FMS. We take no position on the validity of any specific scientific or
political opinion expressed in Co-Cure posts, and we urge readers to
research the various opinions available before assuming any one
interpretation is definitive. The Co-Cure website <www.co-cure.org> has a
link to our complete archive of posts as well as articles of central
importance to the issues of our community.
---------------------------------------------
