Source: http://www.ahmf.org/01nicolson.html

Abstracts Sydney Conf. (10/35) = Prof. G. L. Nicolson
---------------------------------------------

Diagnosis and treatment of multiple, chronic bacterial and viral
infections in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS),
Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Gulf War Illnesses

Prof. G. L. Nicolson, M. Nasralla, X. Gu, R. Gan and N. Nicolson

The Institute for Molecular Medicine,
Huntington Beach,
California USA

International Molecular Diagnostics,
Huntington Beach, California USA
Tel: +1-714-903-2900
Fax: +1-714-379-2082
Email: gnicolson@immed.org

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Fibromyalgia Syndrome
and Gulf War Illness (GWI) have overlapping signs and
symptoms [1]. 

We found that a major source of morbidity is
caused by various chronic viral and bacterial infections [2-5].
Using the techniques of Nucleoprotein Gene Tracking (NGT) and
Forensic Polymerase Chain Reaction-Hybridization (FPCR) we
examined 200 ME/CFS pts and 200 GWI patients and their
immediate symptomatic family members. GWI pts (~40%) had
mycoplasmal infections inside blood leukocytes, but
not in blood plasma or serum. The most common species
(~80%) was M. fermentans. 

In contrast, in nondeployed, healthy
adults the incidence of mycoplasma+ pts was ~6% [6,7]. In
ME/CFS/FMS pts (~50%) we found a variety of mycoplasma
species (M. fermentans, M. pneumoniae, M hominis, M.
penetrans, M. genitalium) [8]. RA pts also had high frequencies
of mycoplasmal infections (~45%) of various species [9]. We
examined ME/CFS pts for other bacterial (Chlamydia
pneumoniae+ ~7%) and viral (HHV-6+ ~28%) infections
and found that of the mycoplasma+ and HHV-6+ pts ~7.2% and
7%, respectively, were also Cp+. Similarly, ~27% of the
mycoplasma+ pts were also HHV-6+, indicating that there was
no particular preference for specific multiple infections in
ME/CFS pts. Mycoplasma+ and Cp+ pts have been successfully
treated with multiple 6-wk cycles of antibiotics: doxycycline,
ciprofloxacin, azithromycin or clarithromycin plus nutritional
support [4-7], and HHV-6+ pts were treated with immune
enhancement (IE). 

All pts on antibiotic/IE relapsed within wks
after the first cycle of therapy, but after up to 6-cycles most
recovered. Pts who recovered no longer tested mycoplasma+
[5-7]. We conclude that subsets of GWI, ME/CFS, FMS and RA
pts have transmittable chronic bacterial and viral infections, and
treatment of these chronic pts with appropriate therapy can result
in slow recovery. These illnesses may be due, in part, to multiple
chemical/biological exposures (including vaccines) that cause
multi-factorial illnesses, some of which involve chronic
bacterial and viral infections [11,12].



1. Nicolson, G.L. and Nicolson, N.L. J. Occup. Environ. Med.
    1996; 38:14-16.
2. Nicolson, G.L., Nasralla, M, Haier, J. and Nicolson, N.L
     Biomed. Therapy 1998; 16:266-271.
3. Nicolson GL, Nasralla M, Haier J, et al. Med Sentinel 1999;
     4:172-176.
4. Nicolson GL, Nasralla M, Franco AR, et al. J. Chronic Fatigue
     Syndr. 2000; 6(3/4):23-39.
5. Nicolson GL, Nasralla M, Franco AR, et al. Clin. Pract. Alt.
     Med. 2000; 1(2):92-102.
6. Nicolson, G.L. and Nicolson, N.L. Int. J. Occup. Med. Immunol.
     Tox. 1996; 5:69-78.
7. Nicolson, G.L., Nicolson, N.L. and Nasralla, M. Intern. J. Med.
    1998; 1:80-92.
8. Nasralla M, Haier J, Nicolson GL. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol.
     Infect. Dis. 1999; 18:859-865.
9. Haier J, Nasralla M, Franco AR, Nicolson GL. Rheumatol
     1999; 38:504-509.
10. Nicolson GL. CFIDS Chronicle 1999; 12(3):19-21.
11. Nicolson GL, Nass M, Nicolson NL. Med. Sentinel 2000;
       5:97-101.
12. Nicolson GL. Armed Forces Med. Dev. 2001; 2:41-44.