Electron microscopic immunocytological profiles in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Structures consistent in size, shape and character with various stages of a Lentivirus replicative cycle were observed by electron microscopy in 12-day peripheral-blood lymphocyte cultures from 10 of 17 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients and not in controls. Attempts to identify a lymphoid phenotype containing these structures by immunogold labelling failed and the results of reverse-transcriptase assay of culture supernatants were equivocal. The study was blind and case-controlled, patients being paired with age, sex and ethnically matched healthy volunteers. Prescreening of subjects included the common metabolic and immunological disorders, functional conditions and a virus-screen against hepatitis B and C, Epstein-Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus and Human Immunodeficiency Virus.