HUMAN HERPESVIRUS6B IN MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS PATHOGENESIS Version1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
HUMAN HERPESVIRUS 6B IN MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS / CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME PATHOGENESIS: TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OF VIRAL REACTIVATION AND IMMUNITY TO ELUCIDATE CAUSE VS EFFECT
IRAS ID
318330
Contact name
Eliana Lacerda
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
28076, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Ethics Committee
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Members of the human herpesvirus (HHV) family have been implicated in ME/CFS onset and/or symptom exacerbation, but different studies have yielded contradictory results. In a pilot study, we observed a correlation between saliva HHV-6B DNA concentration and symptom severity. It is not known whether ME/CFS pathogenesis leads to HHV reactivation, or whether HHV reactivation causes the symptoms associated with ME/CFS.
This proposed study seeks to address causality, by assessing salivary HHV viral load though time, alongside frequent (weekly) assessment of symptoms, to determine whether HHV-6B reactivation or symptom exacerbation occurs first. We also propose to investigate abnormalities in the anti-HHV-6B immune response in people with ME/CFS.
This proposed research is, to our knowledge, the first study to investigate the role of HHV reactivation in a large cohort of people with ME/CFS and two control groups. We aim to: i) test the association between HHV-6B DNA concentration and severity of ME/CFS symptoms, and to determine the temporal relationship between the two variables; ii) confirm if there is systemic virus reactivation, by comparing the concentration of HHV-6B DNA in saliva and blood, alongside protein and RNA markers of viral reactivation, and iii) compare the anti-HHV-6B immune response, particularly the T cell and antigen presenting cell function, in people with ME/CFS compared to healthy controls. Inclusion of people with Long COVID who fit the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS will enable us to assess immune function in an antigen-specific manner in people with relatively recent ME/CFS onset, compared to people who recovered quickly from a Sars-CoV-2 infection.
Our data will enable us to determine whether HHV-6B reactivation occurs prior to ME/CFS relapse, meaning it might be causative, and will yield insight into potential immunological abnormalities in ME/CFS enabling reactivation, which may lead to future treatment developments for ME/CFS and Long COVID.
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
23/WA/0047
Date of REC Opinion
7 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion