Source: http://www.ahmf.org/01nijs3.html

Prevalence of Mycoplasma Infections Among Belgian CFS
Patients

Nijs J [1, 3], PT; Nicolson GL [2], PhD; De Becker P [1], PhD; De
Meirleir K [1], MD, PhD

1: Department of Human Physiology
Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium

2: Institute for Molecular Medicine,
Huntington Beach,
USA

3 To whom correspondence should be addressed:
Vakgroep MFYS, AZ-VUB KRO gebouw
1, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090 Brussel
Belgium.
Tel: +32 2 477 4604.
Fax: +32 2 477 4607.
E-mail: Jo.Nijs@vub.ac.be



Prevalence as well as clinical importance of Mycoplasma
infections in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and related disorders
(Gulf War Illness, Fibromyalgia) has been extensively reported in
the scientific literature [1-5]. However, all previous reports
highlighted the presence of Mycoplasmae in American CFS
patients. Epidemic peaks of, for instance, M pneumoniae
infections [6] preclude extrapolation of these results outside the
United States. Among Belgian CDC-defined Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome patients [7], is Mycoplasma detection using forensic
polymerase chain reaction relevant in identifying subsets? To
answer this medical care research question, we conducted a
prospective study in which we tested the presence of
Mycoplasma spp in the blood of 272 CFS-patients. The study
was conducted in Brussels, at a university-based outpatient
clinic (Vrije Universiteit Brussel). 


Between the first of January
and the end of June 1999, we enrolled 272 consecutive patients
seeking care for prolonged fatigue as major complaint. All
included patients fulfilled current international CDC case
definition for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [7], while more than
70% were defined as CFS patients according to the more
stringent Holmes et al 8 criteria. 

In 85 out of 272 Belgian
CFS-patients (31.3%), we could not detect Mycoplasmal
species. One hundred and eighty-seven (68.7%) patients were
infected by at least one type of Mycoplasma. Among
Mycoplasma-infected patients, M hominis is the most frequently
observed (N = 99; 36.4% of overall sample), followed by M
pneumoniae-infection (N = 71; 26.1%). M penetrans was not
observed. Multiple infections were detected in 47 patients
(17.3%). With the absence of M penetrans in mind, all possible
combinations were present and equally distributed. Compared
to American patients, a slightly different pattern of Mycoplasmae
infections was observed.



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