XMRV does not cause CFS in the UK
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
In October 2009 it was reported that 68 of 101 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in the USA were infected with a novel gamma retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV), a virus previously linked to prostate cancer. This finding, if confirmed, would have a profound effect on the understanding and treatment of an incapacitating disease affecting millions worldwide. Researchers have now investigated CFS sufferers in the UK to determine if they are carriers of XMRV.
186 UK CFS patients were screened for XMRV provirus and for the closely related murine leukaemia virus. XMRV or MLV sequences were not amplified from DNA originating from CFS patients in the UK. The study found no evidence that XMRV is associated with CFS in the UK. This may be a result of population differences between North America and Europe regarding the general prevalence of XMRV infection, and might also explain the fact that two US groups found XMRV in prostate cancer tissue, while two European studies did not. Alternative explanations are also possible.
Related:
- Scientists claim to have found the cause of ME is premature
- Prostate Cancer Caused By a Virus?
- Viruses and Cancer: XMRV and Prostate Cancer
