View text/printer form

New Hypothesis for CFIDS Cause

Researchers at Ohio State University have published a new theory that CFIDS is caused by both a low-level viral infection and the body's immune response to it. The new theory by Ronald Glaser, professor of medical microbiology and immunology, and Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychology and psychiatry, published in the American Journal of Medicine, October 1998, arises from their research on the effects of stress on the human immune system.

"Our data suggests that stress may be causing the expression of certain viral proteins and that these proteins may be modulating the body's immune response, turning it on or off," Glaser said.

The theory holds that various latent viruses can be partially reactivated, meaning that viral proteins could be produced at levels high enough to cause a low-grade infection but too low to be seen using current laboratory assays. The researchers suggest that CFIDS patients could have an infection that is "more like a smoldering fire rather than a three alarm blaze," which could be enough to increase production of various cytokines.

"A lot of the symptoms that you find in chronic fatigue syndrome are the same ones induced by cytokines during our normal immune response," Glaser said. He admits that their studies of patients have yet to show a pattern of abnormal cytokine behavior that would substantiate their theory, but he believes that may be because knowledge about cytokines is still emerging and new ones are being identified.

Kiecolt-Glaser said stress and depression may be playing a related role. Earlier research has repeatedly shown that increased stress and depression can reactivate latent viruses, decrease the body's immune response and stimulate the production of certain cytokines linked to some CFIDS symptoms.

"Part of this is a chicken-and-egg problem," Kiecolt-Glaser said. "People diagnosed with CFIDS often are depressed since they're unable to carry out normal, daily activities. What we don't know is whether the depression followed the diagnosis of CFIDS or if it contributed to it. We do know, however, that this kind of depression can weaken our immune response."