Johnson: Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus (XMRV) and the Safety of the Blood Supply

[mango]

Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus (XMRV) and the Safety of the Blood Supply

Andrew D. Johnson and Claudia S. Cohn

Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Clin. Microbiol. Rev. October 2016 vol. 29 no. 4 749-757 1 October 2016
doi: 10.1128/CMR.00086-15

SUMMARY
In 2006, a new virus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), was discovered in a cohort of U.S. men with prostate cancer. Soon after this initial finding, XMRV was also detected in samples from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

The blood community, which is highly sensitive to the threat of emerging infectious diseases since the HIV/AIDS crisis, recommended indefinite deferral of all blood donors with a history of CFS.

As XMRV research progressed, conflicting results emerged regarding the importance of this virus in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer and/or CFS.

Molecular biologists traced the development of XMRV to a recombination event in a laboratory mouse that likely occurred circa 1993. The virus was propagated via cell lines derived from a tumor present in this mouse and spread through contamination of laboratory samples. Well-controlled experiments showed that detection of XMRV was due to contaminated samples and was not a marker of or a causal factor in prostate cancer or CFS.

This paper traces the development of XMRV in the prostate and CFS scientific communities and explores the effect it had on the blood community.

http://cmr.asm.org/content/29/4/749.abstract?sid=9909156c-11f0-4d53-8339-8073863f2437

 

[mango]

"Study Finds No Link Between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Viral Infection…"

http://privatehealthcarereports.com...chronic-fatigue-syndrome-and-viral-infection/

 

[RogerBlack]

It's weird that this laboratory contamination issue has spurred so much research - both wasted in that XMRV was not related to any patient, and not in that there are now several large sample banks of CFS samples, and 'proper' researchers who are interested in the area.
Lipkin et al...
http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-164-six-steps-forward-four-steps-back/ - I strongly recommend.
This is Vincent Racaniello's podcast - who is a virologist and discusses interesting virology papers during the week.
The XMRV segment starts at around 5 minutes in.

This is an overview episode for 2011, which is rounding up the state of XMRV and its evolving history over the year.
http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/tag/cfs/ - are the CFS related episodes - earlier ones are mostly XMRV - the evolution of the issue is fascinating.
http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-50-xmrv/ - was the first report (of XMRV in prostate cancer.)

I find TWIV excellent for when I am sort of awake but want to try to learn something relevant.

Vincent Rachaniello has also done lots of work latterly on CFS advocacy - tens of thousands of people listening to a virology podcast including actual working virologists in the field.
http://www.microbe.tv/twiv/twiv-397/ - going over the issues with the PACE trial with David Tuller.

It would normally be a horribly dry subject medium, but these are experts in their field trying to make it reasonably understandable, and discussing things that are interesting to them, as well as having a great rapport.

The XMRV story - the whole story - is excellent for how science correcting itself in the face of one labs report should be done.
One lab finds something, it's sort-of-reproduced in other labs.
It's then carefully studied and found out that the virus that is being found is suspiciously similar - viruses mutate lots and these were nearly identical when that's not plausible for ones from multiple patients globally.
Despite the original lab believing and defending their work, it's proved that it's not actually true, and the original paper is retracted.

 

[unto]

although, perhaps (?), the XMRV virus does not cause ME I am convinced
that the origin of the disease there is an unknown virus; after 30 years
ME I saw various people show symptoms of the disease just because
They had attended my home or my family and of course the sottoscrtto ..
this belief is supported by the history of the disease, from the dozens of epidemics occurred worldwide, the frequency of more than a case of ME in the same environment (family, friendship work ...) and by the epidemic, more or less latent, world that is in place

 

[RogerBlack]

although, perhaps (?), the XMRV virus does not cause ME I am convinced

XMRV most certainly does not cause CFS. XMRV was accidentally created in a lab, and circulated only amongst contaminated samples and laboratory materials.
All positive tests for it from patients, if later tested more carefully avoiding contamination were found not to contain it, and the original lab finding it could not consistently find it in samples given them.

May it be triggered by some virus - seems almost certain in some cases.
I in some ways would be surprised if it's triggered by one specific virus.

 

[unto]

@ Roger, if you exclude a "just" the origin of the virus, which originated think is more likely?

 

[RogerBlack]

@ Roger, if you exclude a "just" the origin of the virus, which originated think is more likely?

if you mean is it sometimes (perhaps most of the time) triggered by some unidentified virus - certainly in my opinion.

If you're asking about XMRV - absolutely not.
XMRV does not exist in patients.

 

[unto]

@RogerBlack ,
I think that contracting the virus (unknown) is necessary and sufficient to develop ME, from sick in more than 30 years I have experienced this ....., people who frequented my house and my person, over time often manifested the symptoms of ME (unfortunately)

 

[flybro]

I don't believe science prevailed. I witnessed an absolute concerted, politically and economically motivated assault on science.

Had the science been done with-out the coordinated propaganda, I might have felt differently. However it wasn't, and I now believe there is any number of 'man-made'(likely accidentally) viruses, including retro-viruses similar to HIV, in the blood supply, vaccines and the population.

 

[wastwater]

Are they still looking for a weak leukemia retrovirus I wonder

 

[IreneF]

Are they still looking for a weak leukemia retrovirus I wonder

What is a "weak leukemia retrovirus"?

 

[Seven7]

Science will self correct as long as it will not burry the career of charlatanes in power plus any power organization.