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Lipkin: calls to retract paper are premature

Jemal

Senior Member
Messages
1,031
The study of 150 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and another 150 healthy volunteers should be complete by early 2012, said Ian Lipkin, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York, who is leading the effort. Until the research is complete, its too soon to know whether there is a link between a virus and chronic fatigue, he said.

Calls to retract the paper at this point are premature, said Lipkin, director of Columbias Center for Infection and Immunity, in a telephone interview. We need to let this study take its course, look at the data in a coherent fashion and figure out what it tells us. While interesting, the publications dont dissuade us from continuing our work.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...-ban-may-have-been-flawed.html?forumid=331851
 

eric_s

Senior Member
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1,925
Location
Switzerland/Spain (Valencia)
Thank, Jemal. On the other thread they were discussing Lipkin's reaction to Shin et al., i'm replying to this over here, because it's about Lipkin in general, if it disturbs you and you think it's not in the right place here, tell me.

Dear Vince-

We have a plethora of explanations for how CFS/XMRV/MLV studies could go awry. However, we dont have evidence that they have. Absent an appropriately powered study representing blinded analyses by Mikovitz and Lo/Alter of samples from well characterized subjects using their reagents, protocols and people, all we have is more confusion.

I remain agnostic. We wont have answers until the end of 2011.

The NIH will post something on our study today.

Ian
Dr. Racaniello: Dr. Lipkin is not saying that the Singh study is 'worthless' - he is merely stating that no number of studies will convince non-scientists that the Mikovits study was incorrect. He is saying that it is up to Mikovits and Alter to repeat their studies in an appropriately powered manner to resolve the issue. I'm not sure that will happen. As I've said before, the Singh study is extremely well done in all ways. For scientists, there is no confusion about the findings.
http://www.virology.ws/2011/05/06/ian-lipkin-on-xmrv/

Was Lipkin really saying something different in private than in public? What i can see here was one private email to Dr. Racaniello, of which Dr. Lipkin probably was aware it will be posted and then Dr. Racaniello's interpretation/opinion.

Or am i wrong? I don't see two statements by Lipkin here.
 

eric_s

Senior Member
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1,925
Location
Switzerland/Spain (Valencia)
I like what i see from Dr. Lipkin so far. Don't know about the Wakefield story though, i have no idea what happened there. But in general i'm cautious with people like Wakefield (but that's a topic for another thread, i guess).

I just think that whenever things are set up in such a way that one event might make a decision that will have a lot of impact one has to be very careful and make sure things will go right, there will not be any possibility for a wrong result, no matter for what reason. This is a potentially dangerous situation and with any danger you have to recognize it and take precautions.
 

Jemal

Senior Member
Messages
1,031
We already have a Coffin and Lipkin could be the undertaker... we'll see. I remain neutral about the man for now.
What's important is that the WPI is part of his study. None of the other studies did that.

There isnt anybody any better at this than Ian Lipkin, said Dr. Fauci. If he cant find it, it probably doesnt exist.
 

currer

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
I wish I could say I trusted the Lipkin study. But there is such warped science going on that if there is a cover-up it wont stop at Lipkin.
However the Russians are finding XMRV.... surely they will be out of this loop.
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
I wish I could say I trusted the Lipkin study. But there is such warped science going on that if there is a cover-up it wont stop at Lipkin.
However the Russians are finding XMRV.... surely they will be out of this loop.

I don't believe we need to worry currer. Judy Mikovits is deeply involved in the BWG study, and has played an integral role in the evolution of that study.
And Lipkin has said that he will only carry out a study that all participating parties are 100% happy with.
Then of course, there are all the other projects by other scientists quietly going on behind the scenes that we aren't even aware of.
I'm hopeful that the truth will prevail, whatever the truth is.
 

Jemal

Senior Member
Messages
1,031
I don't believe we need to worry currer. Judy Mikovits is deeply involved in the BWG study, and has played an integral role in the evolution of that study.
And Lipkin has said that he will only carry out a study that all participating parties are 100% happy with.
Then of course, there are all the other projects by other scientists quietly going on behind the scenes that we aren't even aware of.
I'm hopeful that the truth will prevail, whatever the truth is.

Yes, I remain hopeful as well. This is not DeFreitas period, many more researchers are involved and they are under the scrutiny of patients and the press.
That XMRV has been linked to cancer could be a life savior, for cancer patients and for us. Researchers like Singh still think XMRV is in prostate cancer, so I am hopeful they will fight contamination theories. And if it is proven this virus really exists and infects humans outside the laboratory, it could also be found in people with ME/CFS.

Also, I really have the feeling more and more people are falling ill. It could create an unstoppable avalanche.
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Yes, I remain hopeful as well. This is not DeFreitas period, many more researchers are involved and they are under the scrutiny of patients and the press.
That XMRV has been linked to cancer could be a life savior, for cancer patients and for us. Researchers like Singh still think XMRV is in prostate cancer, so I am hopeful they will fight contamination theories. And if it is proven this virus really exists and infects humans outside the laboratory, it could also be found in people with ME/CFS.

Yes, I agree. Even Switzer of the CDC has found it in 3 prostate cancer patients now, and says it's a real wild human virus in his latest research paper.
 

Overstressed

Senior Member
Messages
406
Location
Belgium
Also, I really have the feeling more and more people are falling ill. It could create an unstoppable avalanche.

Well, I can tell you that I recently went to the Tropical Disease Center in Antwerp(Belgium) and explained my illness. They told me that many people come there with exactly the same symptoms, and no answers.
They're convinced that something is there, and perhaps xmrv is the answer.

Best regards,
OS.
 

eric_s

Senior Member
Messages
1,925
Location
Switzerland/Spain (Valencia)
Well, I can tell you that I recently went to the Tropical Disease Center in Antwerp(Belgium) and explained my illness. They told me that many people come there with exactly the same symptoms, and no answers.
They're convinced that something is there, and perhaps xmrv is the answer.

Best regards,
OS.
That's very interesting. I think we must try to get as many of that kind of places interested as possible. There are so many good institutes and researchers but they don't look into what we have. For many reasons, but we must try to change that.
 

LJS

Luke
Messages
213
Location
East Coast, USA
Lipkin has to say it is premature, he has a study to complete that is already funded by the NIH. If you read his comments on the virology blog you will see he does not have much confidence in XMRV being a real human virus.
 

floydguy

Senior Member
Messages
650
Lipkin has to say it is premature, he has a study to complete that is already funded by the NIH. If you read his comments on the virology blog you will see he does not have much confidence in XMRV being a real human virus.

Perhaps but I do believe his study goes beyond XMRV and encompasses whether there is a viral connection to CFS.
 

eric_s

Senior Member
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1,925
Location
Switzerland/Spain (Valencia)
Lipkin has to say it is premature, he has a study to complete that is already funded by the NIH. If you read his comments on the virology blog you will see he does not have much confidence in XMRV being a real human virus.
Plese explain how you arrive at that conclusion, LJS. I copied the relevant two quotes here this morning, they are in post #2 of this thread. I can't see this. What i can read is that he thinks there is no evidence that disproves the positive studies.
 

Cort

Phoenix Rising Founder
Lipkin's opinion doesn't really matter much to me; what matters is that he conducts the studies with the same professionalism that has brought him to the heights of his profession. Of course he will do that - he is a professional - and this is a very hot topic that is much in the news - and the WPI is involved - and since everything really depends on the outcome of this and the BWG study they will be very careful....
 

eric_s

Senior Member
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1,925
Location
Switzerland/Spain (Valencia)
Other professionals (with some very big names) have not necessarily left a fair and careful impression.

I don't say anything bad about Lipkin, what i've seen so far seemed positive, i think, but we have to be careful. There's too much at stake, in my opinion.
 

Jemal

Senior Member
Messages
1,031
Other professionals (with some very big names) have not necessarily left a fair and careful impression.

I don't say anything bad about Lipkin, what i've seen so far seemed positive, i think, but we have to be careful. There's too much at stake, in my opinion.

True, Lipkin is just one man. There's a lot riding on him. Still, the WPI is also involved in his study, right?