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VIP Dx MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT on Jun 1 !

omerbasket

Senior Member
Messages
510
Well, anyway these are good things. An antibodies test will be available within a month, and culture test will soon be available in euope. These are good news, and I think that it's even more surprising (for the good) than what we could have expected from VIP Dx to announce.
 

Rivotril

Senior Member
Messages
154
Perhaps Europe gets the antibody test when it is available. The culture test for Europe is still a good thing.

Vipdx had the culture test for months, while redlabs had not.
last months meirleir tested some patients on culture and send the samples to USA for re check (to confirm that everything worked fine at Redlabs). So it took some time to confirm that they did the test in the right way
So, when the antibody test is available at Vipdx, it may also take some time to implement that test for redlabs.
And I have no medical knowhow, but I suppose, when you have an antibody test and know how to use it, it might be easier to "learn how to do it" for an other lab, than a culture test does.
 

Rrrr

Senior Member
Messages
1,591
so what does this mean, the fact taht there is an antibody test now available (within 30 days)? that we don't have to wait the 10 days for a culture test to grow? that folks wanting to give blood to the national blood supply can be more easily tested, as in "on the spot"?

can someone tell us what it means to have an antibody test available?

and does anyone know the cost of this test yet??
 
D

DysautonomiaXMRV

Guest
Yes V999! There will be a flood of people all over Europe getting a + XMRV result back, which is qute shocking the day it happens to you, trust me. :(

However, at least once one knows the truth (and the gravity of the situation - politically), the smoke and mirrors move away and the simple situation is seen for what it is.

A blatant multi decade cover up of people infected with an incurable virus - who were given a universal tag 'CFS' and blamed for their disease.

Only XMRV can make this materialise for abandoned patients, who are effectively orphans of the state health care service.
 

omerbasket

Senior Member
Messages
510
I have a technical question. When it comes out next month, obviously there will be hundreds of thousands of people getting it done all at the same time.

What is the probability of lab errors with that kind of a heavy load? Any lab techs reading?

I am wondering if it would be better to wait a couple more months, just to make sure they don't actually mix up my results with someone else's, or something like that.
Hunderds of thousands?! I really don't think it would be even close to that... They mention that they got 777 speciemens until May 28th. That's even not a thousand - So with just the adding of the antibodies test I don't think it would soon be more than. let's say, 3,000 speciemens. That is unless we have an announcment from the CDC saying that XMRV is connected to ME/CFS and perrhaps also that VIP Dx would be a good lab to get tested at.
 

kit

Messages
85
Location
USA
ANNOUNCEMENT: June 1, 2010

VIP Dx received confirmation from representatives of the Whittemore Peterson Institute (WPI) that a multiplex serological assay to detect XMRV antibodies should be available for use within the next 30 days. This serological test will allow our lab to quickly and accurately determine which individuals are positive for XMRV, explained Marguerite Ross, director of marketing and client relations for VIP Dx. Discovering who is positive is an important first step in helping to determine how XMRV is impacting human health.

VIP Dx has also recently entered into an agreement to be acquired by the Whittemore Peterson Institute, and become an integral part of the Institute. The clinical laboratory will continue to operate under the name VIP Dx, until it moves to the University of Nevada's Center for Molecular Medicine in August 2010. At that time, the lab will operate within the Institute under the name Unevx, providing services and revenue to the Institute in a manner similar to other institutional clinical reference laboratories.

"Our agreement to acquire VIP Dx is the culmination of years of planning and sacrifice, said Annette Whittemore, president and founder of the Whittemore Peterson Institute. "It has always been our intent to offer a wide range of patient services, including diagnostic testing, within WPIs new facility at the University of Nevada, Reno. The addition of comprehensive clinical laboratory services will significantly strengthen the translational clinical research program providing much needed answers to patients and their doctors."

Finally, in response to thousands of requests for testing, WP Biotechnologies (WPBio), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Whittemore Peterson Institute, finalized a non-exclusive license agreement with R.E.D. Laboratories N.V. of Belgium (R.E.D. Labs) to provide XMRV testing of European patients. As part of this agreement, R.E.D. Labs will receive consulting services delivered by VIP Dx to ensure the Belgium laboratory delivers the proprietary tests with the utmost accuracy. This activity will help implement the delivery and execution of XMRV tests by virus culture for patients all across Europe, using the WPI technology, said Carli West Kinne, director of WPBio. The European market is a significant part of our plan to move the work of the WPI forward on behalf of those who are ill.

Sam, could you provide a link to this announcement? I can't find it on the VIP Dx site.
 

julius

Watchoo lookin' at?
Messages
785
Location
Canada
so what does this mean, the fact taht there is an antibody test now available (within 30 days)? that we don't have to wait the 10 days for a culture test to grow? that folks wanting to give blood to the national blood supply can be more easily tested, as in "on the spot"?

can someone tell us what it means to have an antibody test available?

There's probably people who can better answer this. But, one thing is that this is will be much more accurate (ie fewer false negatives).
 

boomer

Senior Member
Messages
143
I think the numbers would increase big time depending on what the costs turn out to be (family members would be tested too) and the numbers would skyrocket if a very good treatment would be available. A lot of people think what is the point in spending the money on a test if there is no valid treatment.
 

fred

The game is afoot
Messages
400
so what does this mean, the fact taht there is an antibody test now available (within 30 days)? that we don't have to wait the 10 days for a culture test to grow?

Interesting question. Does anyone know the answer?
 

julius

Watchoo lookin' at?
Messages
785
Location
Canada
Hunderds of thousands?! I really don't think it would be even close to that... They mention that they got 777 speciemens until May 28th. That's even not a thousand - So with just the adding of the antibodies test I don't think it would soon be more than. let's say, 3,000 speciemens. That is unless we have an announcment from the CDC saying that XMRV is connected to ME/CFS and perrhaps also that VIP Dx would be a good lab to get tested at.

I have not gotten tested yet because I have been waiting for a verified, accurate test. As far as I understand it, this is that test.

I am pretty sure many (many, many) patients have been waiting just like me.

Maybe Cort could do a poll of who intends to get the new test......eh, Cort?
 
Messages
34
Basically this is an announcement of a business transcation where WPI aquires VIPdx and that they are licensing technology to Red Laboratories in Belgium.

According to best practise within Public Relation you do not announce that you are going to announce something that will happen in a months time.

- F
 

Rivotril

Senior Member
Messages
154
There's probably people who can better answer this. But, one thing is that this is will be much more accurate (ie fewer false negatives).

it made the difference from 66% to 98% XMRV positive
antibody also finds latent infections, because it just looks for antibodies?
 
D

DysautonomiaXMRV

Guest
can someone tell us what it means to have an antibody test available???

Culture method is the gold standard to prove a pathogen exists, as the virus is actually re-grown and 'infected' from your own sample in cells, in a petri dish.
It's expensive, and would take at least 5 days for each test.

A positive Antibody test, shows not the Pathogen (XMRV) but an immune response to it. Meaning............A positive Antibody test is impossible for XMRV to be contamination through the human body responding to a virus (XMRV) rather than a contaminant (Not a virus).

NB: + XMRV Culture at WPI/VIPdx is also impossible for WPI XMRV culture method to be contamination, as WPI has evidence of a new human retrovirus, XMRV, 'budding' under the microscope. Thus contamination is impossible via WPI method as their test was checked and then confirmed not to be contamination by NCI, Cleaveland Clinic and even the CDC!

In Layman's terms, XMRV Antibody+ result doesn't need anyone to verify it, as the Culture did. If your body have Antibodies to XMRV, then it does - end of story.

Lastly, Antibody method is cheap, quick and normally done for other diseases - such as HIV.

Personally I would get Culture & Antibody test done (if not tested postive yet), because we don't know yet (from the Science) if one can have XMRV and no Antibodies. (Do I have them? I don't know). It would thus be foolhardy to just get an Antibody test, get it back negative - and conclude one does not have XMRV infection. This is very important to remember!

Theoretically, the sickest patients would have no Antibodies to XMRV, therefore show no immune response to it, and therefore have ZERO defence against it.
We shall see, when patients who are positive culture, report back if they are negative antibody, and also report if they are house bound/bed bound.
 

Frickly

Senior Member
Messages
1,049
Location
Texas
I agree, look at lyme disease. Those that have had it for years show no antibodies. This is very good news. I want to be tested now.

Culture method is the gold standard to prove a pathogen exists, as the virus is actually re-grown and 'infected' from your own sample in cells, in a petri dish.
It's expensive, and would take at least 5 days for each test.

A positive Antibody test, shows not the Pathogen (XMRV) but an immune response to it. Meaning............A positive Antibody test is impossible for it to be contamination, so it ends that debate.

Lastly, Antibody method is cheap, quick and normally done for other diseases - such as HIV.

Personally I would get Culture + Antibody test done (if not tested postive yet), because we don't know yet (from the Science) if one can have XMRV and no Antibodies. (Do I have them? I don't know). It would thus be foolhardy to just get an Antibody test, get it back negative - and conclude one does not have XMRV infection. This is very important to remember!

Theoretically, the sickest patients would have no Antibodies to XMRV, therefore show no immune response to it, and therefore have ZERO defence against it.
We shall see, when patients who are positive culture, report back if they are negative antibody, and also report if they are house bound/bed bound.
 

julius

Watchoo lookin' at?
Messages
785
Location
Canada
Dys,

since the science paper, one of the most (if not THE most) important next steps has been to develop a reliable test. This is partly to better enable researchers, and to offer something reliable to patients.

They have been working hard at this and if there were a lot of false negs. (ie infected patients with no antibodies) this would not be the test they went ahead with. I am sure they took that possibility into consideration during the development of this test.
 

omerbasket

Senior Member
Messages
510
I have not gotten tested yet because I have been waiting for a verified, accurate test. As far as I understand it, this is that test.

I am pretty sure many (many, many) patients have been waiting just like me.

Maybe Cort could do a poll of who intends to get the new test......eh, Cort?
It is not an FDA approved test, as far as I understand it. My feeling is that this is a very good test - and being tested for culture and antibodies at VIP Dx is the best test there is right now - and I believe would find most of the people who are XMRV positive, but it's still very much possible that a fraction of people who would be found negative for XMRV in these tests are actually positive.

Anyway, I dought if there are even 10 thousand people in the world who understands the difference between the test that was available until now and the tests that are availalble now and would therefore want to get tested.
But, these are all guesses anyway...
 

julius

Watchoo lookin' at?
Messages
785
Location
Canada
You may be right. We still don't know much about this test, so maybe I'm getting ahead of myself a bit.

I do have a hunch that this being announced today has something to do with the alleged CDC study soon to be announced.
 

Rivotril

Senior Member
Messages
154
Dys,

since the science paper, one of the most (if not THE most) important next steps has been to develop a reliable test. This is partly to better enable researchers, and to offer something reliable to patients.

They have been working hard at this and if there were a lot of false negs. (ie infected patients with no antibodies) this would not be the test they went ahead with. I am sure they took that possibility into consideration during the development of this test.

my medical science is zero, but meirleir also said once that one of the problems with ME/CFS is that your immune system is down, it's not working the way it should, NK cells are down, so it might be, if you have an infection, your body doesnt produce antibodies anymore. He said that in an interview, dont remember the source but could put it up maybe.
But for me it sounds plausible, that in a very bad state, your system doesnt work any more so your body doesnt react to an infection with an antibody response.
so you'll need AB+culture

so thats what i understand of dys' post.

But better we should ask gerwyn or so for this point
 
D

DysautonomiaXMRV

Guest
For me personally, Antibody test will silence the disinformation about 'contamination' (for WPI/VIPdx culture test that was never true) once and for all.
Anyone who shows up to their doctor with 'Anti-bodies' to a new human retrovirus - must be seen and treated as an infected person who is at risk
from future disease, who may shows signs and symptoms of current disease (ME/CFS is probably somewhat big clue to that!!!!!!!) and who must not
pass their infection on through accidental methods such as blood donation and/or sexual activity between adults.

Also family members need to be tested
. Mom/Dad, Bro/Sister, Cousins with Autism etc - especially if they are 'mysteriously' sick with immune diseases
or immune supression and have Lyme disease, Lupus etc.

This really is the importance of the test, it shoves politics out of the way, and lets the horse bolt out the barn door straight to anyone with an MD
who will then question their own prejudice, disbelief about ME/CFS.

For argumens sake, lets call ME/CFS a collection of symptoms - mostly neurological/immune based.
Now an MD will know, that human exogenous retroviruses, cause neuro/immune symptoms - and that their 'ME/CFS' patient has them
and now, just happens to have proof, of an immune reponse to a newly discovered exogenous retrovirus (XMRV).

Any doctor (MD) would immediately think, wait a second, this person really is sick with a virus , that we called ME/CFS - and now they show me antibodies too.
Err..... what on earth??!!!

Then the phone starts ringing at the CDC, Blood banks etc.
Because until it does, us patients will continue to get put 'on hold' for another 30 years.