Abstract:
A recent report suggested an association between xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). If confirmed, this would suggest that antiretroviral therapy might benefit patients suffering from CFS. We validated a set of assays for XMRV and evaluated the prevalence of XMRV in a cohort of monozygotic twins discordant for CFS. Stored peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples were tested with 3 separate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays (one of which was nested) for XMRV DNA, and serum/plasma was tested for XMRV RNA by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. None of the PBMC samples from the twins with CFS or their unaffected co-twins was positive for XMRV, by any of the assays. One plasma sample, from an unaffected co-twin, was reproducibly positive by RT-PCR. However, serum from the same day was negative, as was a follow-up plasma sample obtained 2 days after the positive specimen. These data do not support an association of XMRV with CFS.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Source: Jerome KR, Diem K, Huang ML, Selke S, Corey L, Buchwald D.Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in monozygotic twins discordant for chronic fatigue syndrome. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2011 Sep;71(1):66-71. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2011.06.003. Epub 2011 Jul 26. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158821/ (Full article)