Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Valganciclovir in a Subset of Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY Montoya, J. G., Kogelnik, A. M., Bhangoo, M., Lunn, M. R., Flamand, L., Merrihew, L. E., Watt, T., Kubo, J. T., Paik, J., Desai, M. 2013; 85 (12): 2101-2109

Abstract

There is no known treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Little is known about its pathogenesis. Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) have been proposed as infectious triggers. Thirty CFS patients with elevated IgG antibody titers against HHV-6 and EBV were randomized 2:1 to receive valganciclovir (VGCV) or placebo for 6 months in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clinical endpoints aimed at measuring physical and mental fatigue included the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) scores, self-reported cognitive function, and physician-determined responder status. Biological endpoints included monocyte and neutrophil counts and cytokine levels. VGCV patients experienced a greater improvement by MFI-20 at 9 months from baseline compared to placebo patients but this difference was not statistically significant. However, statistically significant differences in trajectories between groups were observed in MFI-20 mental fatigue subscore (P?=?0.039), FSS score (P?=?0.006), and cognitive function (P?=?0.025). VGCV patients experienced these improvements within the first 3 months and maintained that benefit over the remaining 9 months. Patients in the VGCV arm were 7.4 times more likely to be classified as responders (P?=?0.029). In the VGCV arm, monocyte counts decreased (P?

View details for DOI 10.1002/jmv.23713

View details for PubMedID 23959519