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HHV-6A and HHV-6B now recognized as two distinct viruses

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
This may be relevant to us if the less common HHV-6a is found in many of us, as I suspect it might.

Read about it at the HHV-6 Foundation: http://www.hhv-6foundation.org/

Some interesting bits:
HHV-6A has been found more frequently in patients with neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) arhomboencephalitis. HHV-6A is acquired later in life, usually without clinical symptoms, except in Sub-Saharan Africa where (unlike in the US and Europe) HHV-6A is the first of the two HHV-6 viruses to be acquired in the majority of the pediatric population.

HHV-6B is more prevalent than HHV-6A in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy adults and transplant patients, while HHV-6A is found more frequently in the plasma of HSCT patients. HHV-6B but not HHV-6A is commonly found in saliva. HHV-6A, but not HHV-6B can productively infect CD8+ T-cells, natural killer cells, and γ/δ (gamma/delta) T-cells.
[my bolding]





HHV-6A and HHV-6B now recognized as two distinct viruses
 

heapsreal

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HHV-6 can persist in the brain tissue long after primary infection and after evidence of the virus has long disappeared from the plasma in the circulating blood. Therefore, direct evidence of chronic infection is not easily attainable by standard laboratory tests. In other words, even though there is no DNA for HHV-6 (or other herpesviruses such as EBV) in the plasma, it is possible that one of more of these viruses are in fact smoldering in the tissues and throwing off inflammatory cytokines.
Elevated antibody titers can only suggest–not prove–that the virus is active. Short of a tissue biopsy, it may be impossible to find direct evidence of chronic HHV-6 infection. Therefore, physicians who suspect active virus, in a chronic case, must treat based on clinical judgment of the symptoms, using elevated antibodies as one of several “clues”. Infectious disease specialist Jose Montoya, MD from Stanford University did this with 12 patients, treated for long standing fatigue and elevated antibody titers to HHV-6 and EBV. He selected CFS patients who had both elevated titers and symptoms consistent with HHV-6 infection (including cognitive dysfunction) and then treated these patients with a strong antiviral (Valcyte). Nine of the twelve patients improved dramatically, some of whom had been sick for over 10 years (Kogelnik 2006).

copy and paste from the sight SOC linked in this thread, i thought was interesting as a few are talking about titre levels etc, this shows that titres arent neccessarily important.

cheers!!!
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
HHV-6 can persist in the brain tissue long after primary infection and after evidence of the virus has long disappeared from the plasma in the circulating blood. Therefore, direct evidence of chronic infection is not easily attainable by standard laboratory tests.

I suspect this is why HHV-6 isn't getting the attention maybe it should in ME/CFS. If they can't find evidence of the virus on their standard tests, we don't have it, right? :rolleyes: Meanwhile, we try to survive with a persistent neurological infection.

Lipkin's pathogen study is not likely to identify a persistent infection in brain tissue, is it? They're focusing on blood, as I recall. There was talk of rectal swaps also, though. Are they doing any further searches in spinal fluid?
 

heapsreal

iherb 10% discount code OPA989,
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I suspect this is why HHV-6 isn't getting the attention maybe it should in ME/CFS. If they can't find evidence of the virus on their standard tests, we don't have it, right? :rolleyes: Meanwhile, we try to survive with a persistent neurological infection.

Lipkin's pathogen study is not likely to identify a persistent infection in brain tissue, is it? They're focusing on blood, as I recall. There was talk of rectal swaps also, though. Are they doing any further searches in spinal fluid?
DrPeterson has sent spinal fluid of some of his sample over here to australia for PHANU to test, what they are testing for i dont know.
 

August59

Daughters High School Graduation
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1,617
Location
Upstate SC, USA
DrPeterson has sent spinal fluid of some of his sample over here to australia for PHANU to test, what they are testing for i dont know.

They are at least doing some spinal fluid in the CFI study. HHV-6 showed up positive both times mine was tested. I am almost positive that Montoya sends his HHV-6 samples to Focus Diagnostics to be run because the copy nymbers are so low that commercila lab test are just not thorough enough to find HHV-6 on a consistent basis.

I did think I read where Focus Diagnostics is owned by Quest Diagnostics and ViroMed is owned by LabCorp. So they both have there backup research type testing available.

I do think that eventually HHV-6 will come to be known as the cause of a lot more symptoms, especially neurological symptoms that we have.
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
I have trouble letting go of the idea that ME/CFS, at least for my daughter and I, is an infectious illness. We came down with the same very sudden onset flu-like illness within a week of each other, which was the beginning of our illness journey.

Since we were both later diagnosed with chronic HHV-6 infections and are both a lot better (not cured) after Valcyte treatment, I have to wonder if HHV-6 -- maybe adult acquired HHV-6a -- is the primary culprit.

That's pure speculation, though. I've got plenty of other infections, so chronic HHV-6 could have been just another opportunistic infection. Still, as August59 suggested, it may be the cause of many symptoms, especially neurological ones.
 

vli

Senior Member
Messages
653
Location
CA
I do think that eventually HHV-6 will come to be known as the cause of a lot more symptoms, especially neurological symptoms that we have.
I agree with this, at least I feel this is true with regard to my own neurological symptoms
 

vli

Senior Member
Messages
653
Location
CA
Short of a tissue biopsy, it may be impossible to find direct evidence of chronic HHV-6 infection.

BTW, short of what's quoted off of the HHV6 foundation website itself, are there any other authorities (any physicians???) who say that EVEN tissue biopsy is not enough????? This is what Enlander said to me in a nutshell. He said he did not think too much of the stomach biopsy I did last year with K De Meirleir because he said even if the HHV6 in my body was just latent, they could still have found a super high level of it in my stomach. I personally don't agree with this, but I have no evidence to back up my view (Enlander told me that even after I told him what the foundation website said).

Incidentally, the ton of hhv6 they found in my stomach was hhv6-b, not a.
 

Rrrr

Senior Member
Messages
1,591
vli,

did you treat with valcyte or valtrex, and if so, what were the results?

rrrr
 

SOC

Senior Member
Messages
7,849
I'm hoping that was rectal swabs. :p

I know, it's not fair to make fun of brain-fog dyslexia, but that one was too good.

ROTFLOL! Okay, that has to be one of the best. :D Laugh all you want! We have to see the humor in this illness if we're going to stay sane. :)
 

vli

Senior Member
Messages
653
Location
CA
vli,

did you treat with valcyte or valtrex, and if so, what were the results?

rrrr
No, I did neither. Not really sure what to do now really except keep plugging away at the 400mg Amp.