This is a very brief summary of the Japanese and European research studies that I know about, based on the very limited info I can find...
I've included all the links for the sources of the information that I know about.
If anyone knows of any more sources of info on any of these, or any other European studies, then please could you let me know so I can collate the info?
Thank you.
Japan
XMRV found in
1.7% of random donor samples from the blood supply in Japan, testing for antibodies only. (Study of blood bank samples and prostate cancer patients, not ME patients.)
http://www.diagnosesupport.com/heal...ted-virus-in&catid=132:xmrv-research&Itemid=8
"Although our study had a limited sample size, the prevalence among blood donors as determined by identifying XMRV-specific antibodies was found to be 1.7%, while that among prostate cancer patients was found to be 6.3%"
Germany
XMRV found in respiratory secretions in
3.2% of healthy control samples (study not carried out on ME patients).
Respiratory samples taken from patients with respiratory tract infection and healthy persons.
http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/16/6/1000.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/16/6/1000-T.htm
"We detected XMRV in respiratory secretions of immunocompetent patients with and without RTI at a frequency of 3.2%, which is in good concordance with the recently reported prevalence in the general population of up to 4% [referring to the 3.7% in the Science paper]"
"Our findings indicate that XMRV or virus-infected cells might be carried in and transmitted by the respiratory tract."
"XMRV-specific sequences were detected in 2%3% of samples from 168 immunocompetent carriers and 10% of samples from 161 immunocompromised patients"
Norway
62% of patients tested positive for XMRV at the Lillestrom Health Clinic, using the VIPdx lab.
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=15684
The Lillestrom Health Clinic tested 80 patients and 50 were tested positive by either culture or serology test a total of
62%. The tests were done in cooperation with VIPdx labs in the USA.
More information about these results will be given on the 28th of November 2010 in Oslo at the XMRV/MLV seminar with Dr. Judy Mikovits...
See this link for more details of the November Oslo XMRV seminar:
http://esme-eu.com/home/xmrv-mlv-se...f-november-2010-oslo-norway-article423-6.html
In November 2010, the Lillestrom Health Clinic will launch a large international research project on Human Gammaretrovirus and ME.
Belgium
Study led by Professor De Meirleir.
Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Belgian company biotech RED Laboratories "are able to identify a new retrovirus in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome."
http://translate.google.co.il/trans...la-fatigue-chronique&sl=fr&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8
http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=3848&d=1284150125
http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/showthread.php?7124-Meirleir-confirms-XMRV-findings-in-Europe
http://www.nieuws.be/nieuws/VUB-ond...chronisch_vermoeidheidssyndroom_6a743703.aspx
http://regist2.virology-education.com/abstractbook/2010_8.pdf
VUB researchers find new virus in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome
Researchers at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and the Belgian biotech company Red Laboratories have succeeded in distinguishing a new retrovirus in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS / ME patients). Thus they confirm recent U.S. findings on this issue. VUB-Press Service reports that Tuesday.
U.S. researchers at the University of Nevada in October 2009 found that the majority of CFS / ME patients are carriers of a new retrovirus XMRV. These findings have also been confirmed by the Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). New to the study led by Professor De Meirleir VUB is that the virus was found in CFS / ME patients from across Europe. Moreover, the immunological signature, a kind of footprint in the immune system, is similar to that of symptomatic HIV patients. "It seems that for the roughly 17 million CFS / ME patients world-wide end to a long ordeal surrounding the recognition of their illness. The development of targeted therapies is already underway, both in Belgium and abroad" says De Meirleir.
Spain
Pilot study by J Blanco et al:
http://regist2.virology-education.com/abstractbook/2010_8.pdf
http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/sh...-Spanish-XMRV-studies&highlight=spanish+study
Detection of XMRV sequences in EBV-transformed B cell lines
"Envelope amplification yielded positive bands in 4 out of 21 individuals tested, 3 CFS affected individuals and 1 healthy donor.However, gag amplification yielded only 3 positive samples (1 CFS affected individual, 1 healthy donor and one HIV+ patient).In contrast, Real-time PCR of Pol fragment detected 7 positives samples in 14 individuals tested (4 SFC , 2 donors and 1 HIV+ individuals)."
Conclusions: Despite the discrepancies observed in the different PCR approaches using gag, pol or env sequences, our data suggest that EBV transformed B cell lines harbor XMRV specific sequences, and therefore this cell type may represent a reservoir for XMRV contributing to its potential pathogenesis.
Spain (progress of study unknown to me)
Hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona:
http://www.abc.es/agencias/noticia.asp?noticia=574407
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=15703
[It's uncertain that the facts have been reported correctly in this case]
