What if XMRV behaves in a similar manner?

[Guest guest]

From http://www.hhv-6foundation.org/testing.html

.....PCR DNA tests can detect HHV-6 in the serum during primary roseola

infections and in acute transplant reactivations, but they cannot determine

reliably if a patient has a chronic central nervous system (CNS) infection

that has reactivated , because there is so little virus circulating outside

of the tissues. HHV-6A & B viruses (especially HHV-6A) migrate to the

central nervous system and other organs and away from the bloodstream.

HHV-6A has been found to persist in the spinal fluid long after it has

disappeared from the plasma. 3

Researchers at the NINDS have determined from autopsy that bone marrow

transplant patients with active or reactivated infections in the CNS tissue

have very little HHV-6 in the spinal fluid or serum.4This means that if the

HHV-6 is chronically active in the brain tissue, it may be impossible to

find any evidence of it in the peripheral blood or even the spinal fluid

As is the case with pathogens with low viral copy numbers such as HHV-8 and

West Nile Virus, indirect evidence of the HHV-6 antibodies are easier to

find than the HHV-6 virus itself. Therefore elevated IgG antibody levels

(above a threshold) may be the only indication of a reactivated chronic

HHV-6 CNS infection...

I've posted this type of question to Judy M for the 22nd Q & A session, I do

hope she picks it, but it would help if more people wrote in as this could

be crucial for autism...

Natasa