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Any suggestions on how to interpret these herpes simplex 1 titers?

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,858
A while ago I got a blood test for herpes simplex 1 & 2, and the test results came back as:

HSV-1 IgG: Positive: Index = 4.212
HSV-2 IgG: Negative: Index = 0.581

Does anyone have experience with this, and can comment on the significance of the HSV-1 titer level of 4.212, in the context of CFS?

My main question is whether this HSV-1 titer level of 4.212 indicates that this herpes virus might be active enough to contribute to my overall CFS symptoms?

This herpes simplex test was taken when my general CFS symptoms were stable. I did not have a cold sore flare up at the time of this test. I have had herpes simplex 1 since childhood (I know this, as I have always had occasional herpes oral cold sores since childhood).
 
Messages
1
My crony got herpes simplex virus type 2 a few years ago. lifes tough for him sometimes. To help more people with STDs, we launched STDdatings.com in 2001, the exclusive STD support organization for poz people with herpes(HSV 1,HSV 2),HIV/AIDS,HPV,hepatitis. If youre living with STDs, please come visit us and add us as friend. Never live in your own dark corner.
 

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,941
My IgG titers are both positive and high


6.7 Type I (HSV1)
> 8 Type II (HSV2)

Les résultats sont exprimés en index d’anticorps. (Immunofluorimétrie en flux, Bioplex 2200 Biorad)
Résultat négatif : < 0,8
Résultat douteux : 0,8 à 1,1
Résultat positif : > 1,1

I am convinced that my low T3 syndrome is responsible for the lack of control of my herpes simplex strains.

I will follow the titers, I hope they will fade when my syndrome will be fixed.
 

JES

Senior Member
Messages
1,322
Look up Pridgen trial, he is using an antiviral protocol with the theory being that HSV virus is the causative agent in fibromyalgia and CFS/ME. I doubt hypothyroidism has much to do with viruses being active, but viruses themselves, such as EBV, can trigger autoimmune hypothyroidism.
 

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,941
Look up Pridgen trial, he is using an antiviral protocol with the theory being that HSV virus is the causative agent in fibromyalgia and CFS/ME. I doubt hypothyroidism has much to do with viruses being active, but viruses themselves, such as EBV, can trigger autoimmune hypothyroidism.

I don't have auto-immune hypothyroidism, nor even hypothyroidism,
and I can't agree with you about your belief that "hypothyroidism has not much to do with viruses being active".

The reason why I don't agree, is that I read some papers that state the contrary:

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/thyroid-hormons-and-virus.57307/#post-950259

...
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,858
My IgG titers are both positive and high


6.7 Type I (HSV1)
> 8 Type II (HSV2)

Dr Daniel Dantini uses a rule of thumb that infections are active in ME/CFS when the IgG titers are at least 4 times higher than the average titers that the healthy population would get on the same test (ref: 1). Unfortunately, information regarding the average titer for a given lab test is usually not available.
 

Frenchguy

Senior Member
Messages
119
Location
France
Igg are sign of past infection. I don't think doctors can diagnose active infection with "high" IGG.

My IGG hsv 1 is 51. I haven't symptoms of HSV 1.

I think PCR is the gold standard to state if an infection is active or not.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,858
Igg are sign of past infection. I don't think doctors can diagnose active infection with "high" IGG.

ME/CFS specialist doctors interpret high IgG as evidence of chronic active infection, and will then treat with antivirals. But ordinary infectious disease doctors view high IgG as a sign of past infection, and so will not treat you.

In the chronic active infections found in ME/CFS, very little virus is found in the blood, so PCR can often be negative.

In the case of enterovirus, we know that in ME/CFS this virus lives as a chronic active intracellular infection in the tissues, but not the blood. So PCR is not a very good test for enterovirus in the context of ME/CFS. Dr Chia found that for ME/CFS patients with chronic enterovirus infections, PCR would only detect those infections in around 1 in 3 patients.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,858

frederic83

Senior Member
Messages
296
Location
France
This is an old question. As I have not read a paper linking HSV-1 to CFS, except Pridgen that found it in the GI track (that is not replicated to my knowledge), and without cold sores, I would tend to think this is a strong immunity against HSV-1. I read a few case of CFS triggered by HSV-2, though. It is not 100% sure that HSV-1 is not faulty.
 

Timaca

Senior Member
Messages
792
My HSV1 IgG titers are pretty much always >8. I've even had some positive IgM titers. HSV2 are negative. HSV1 is part of my CFS problem. Valcyte helped me quite a bit. I am currently on 500 mg Valtrex twice a day. Last June I tried to drop it to once a day and had LOTS more HSV1 outbreaks on my lip (within 6 weeks of dropping the dose)...but even more noticible was how horrible I felt. Very disconnected from my body...hard to walk, hard to type, spacey and more fatigue. So I went back up to twice a day. When I reported that to my CFS doctor (Dr. Montoya) he ordered a NKC function and number test on me. Both are low. My biggest lesson learned in 2017 is I need to be on Valtrex twice a day!
 

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,941
My HSV1 IgG titers are pretty much always >8. I've even had some positive IgM titers. HSV2 are negative. HSV1 is part of my CFS problem. Valcyte helped me quite a bit. I am currently on 500 mg Valtrex twice a day. Last June I tried to drop it to once a day and had LOTS more HSV1 outbreaks on my lip (within 6 weeks of dropping the dose)...but even more noticible was how horrible I felt. Very disconnected from my body...hard to walk, hard to type, spacey and more fatigue. So I went back up to twice a day. When I reported that to my CFS doctor (Dr. Montoya) he ordered a NKC function and number test on me. Both are low. My biggest lesson learned in 2017 is I need to be on Valtrex twice a day!
You don't take any Lysine?

I don't had any lip outbreak since I started to take Lysine, years ago. The only times I had was when I forgot to take it, or if I had cortisone.