Human herpesvirus 6 and 7 are biomarkers for fatigue, which distinguish between physiological fatigue and pathological fatigue

Abstract

Fatigue reduces productivity and is a risk factor for lifestyle diseases and mental disorders. Everyone experiences physiological fatigue and recovers with rest. Pathological fatigue, however, greatly reduces quality of life and requires therapeutic interventions. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between the two but there has been no biomarker for this. We report on the measurement of salivary human herpesvirus (HHV-) 6 and HHV-7 as biomarkers for quantifying physiological fatigue. They increased with military training and work and rapidly decreased with rest. Our results suggested that macrophage activation and differentiation were necessary for virus reactivation. However, HHV-6 and HHV-7 did not increase in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and major depressive disorder (MDD), which are thought to cause pathological fatigue. Thus, HHV-6 and HHV-7 would be useful biomarkers for distinguishing between physiological and pathological fatigue. Our findings suggest a fundamentally new approach to evaluating fatigue and preventing fatigue-related diseases.

Chronic viral infections in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

“…No difference between severity of symptoms and viral load of HHV-6 and HHV-7 in saliva and PBMC of ME/CFS patients and controls was shown [ 69 ]. Besides, detectable reactivation of HHV-6A/6B and HHV-7 in saliva is considered as a biomarker for physiological fatigue, and can therefore be used to distinguish between pathological and physiological fatigue [ 70 ].…”

Attenuation of human herpesvirus 6B reactivation by aging

“…In addition, we previously demonstrated that salivary HHV‐6 DNA levels were elevated by factors such as increased caregiver burden and strenuous military training . Although the influence of stressors like these on the results of the present study cannot be ruled out, its subjects were, at the minimum, people working in the same company not doing physical work.…”

Синдром Хронічної Втоми, Асоційований З Герпесвірусними Інфекціями

“…дженні продемонстрували нещодавно, що саме ідентифікація HHV-6 і HHV-7 може бути критерієм розрізнення фізіологічної і патологічної слабкості у людей [9]. Як стало відомо нині, розвиваючи хронічну реактивовану інфекцію у пацієнтів з передіснуючою імунною дисфункцією, герпесвіруси здатні індукувати стійку системну імунозапальну відповідь, яка призводить до генерації відчуття вираженої слабкості завдяки впливу прозапальних цитокінів на нейрони медіанних відділів скроневих часток великого мозку.…”