FW: XMRV and ME/CFS - second UK study fails to establish any link

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Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 4:00 PM

 

Subject: [CFS_ME_FM_Singles] FW: XMRV and ME/CFS - second UK study fails to

establish any link

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Message Received: Feb 15 2010, 10:28 PM

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Subject: XMRV and ME/CFS - second UK study fails to establish any link

MAY BE REPOSTED

Absence of Xenotropic Murine Leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in UK patients

with chronic fatigue syndrome

RETROVIROLOGY: 2010, 7, 10

A second UK research group has today (15 February 2010) reported that they have

been unable to find any evidence of XMRV infection in people with ME/CFS.

The research, which has been published in the on-line edition of Retrovirology,

was carried out by a collaborative of very reputable virologists and

retrovirologists. The group incl udes two researchers (ie Professor Gow and

Dr Kerr) who are already involved in biomedical research into various

aspects of ME/CFS. Dr Stoye, from the National Institute for Medical

Research, co-authored the editorial in Science that accompanied the paper from

the American group which first raised the possibility of a link between XMRV and

ME/CFS back in October 2009.

The UK research involved the use of blood samples taken from two cohorts

involving 170 people with CFS and 395 controls.

They looked for evidence of XMRV infection using quantitative PCR (polymerase

chain reaction) to check for the presence of viral nucleic acids (DNA) and a

viral neutralisation assay to try and detect an anti-XMRV immune response.

The authors report that they have not identified XMRV DNA (ie genetic material)

in any samples using PCR (0/299). Some samples showed XMRV neutralising

activity (26/565) but only one of these p ositive sera came from a CFS patient.

Those involved in this replication study concluded that:

No association between XMRV infection and CFS was observed in the samples

tested, either by PCR or serological methodologies. The non-specific

neutralisation observed in multiple serum samples suggests that it is unlikely

that these responses were elicited by XMRV and highlights the danger of

over-estimating XMRV frequency based on serological assays. In spite of this,

we believe that the detection of neutralising activity did not inhibit VSV-G

pseudotyped MLV in at least four human samples indicates that XMRV infection may

occur in the general population, although with currently uncertain outcomes

The ME Association advice on XMRV testing remains the same. We do not believe

there is any point, at present, in spending a large sum of money on a blood test

that has not yet been shown to be a diagnostic marker for ME/CFS or an aid to

management. The ME Association will be issuing a more detailed position

statement on this UK research later.

An abstract of the research paper can be accessed here:

http://www.retrovir ology.com/ content/7/ 1/10/abstract The full paper can be

accessed via a provisional PDF on the Retrovirologity journal site.

The most recent MEA summary on XMRV can be accessed using the Quick Links

section on the MEA website: http://www.meassoci ation.org. uk

Dr Shepherd

Hon Medical Adviser, MEA

ENDS

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