Xmrv
After the initial Science publication came out on October 8th, many with ties to WPI stated that the 101 CFS cohort included samples from Dr. Peterson's Bio Bank repository. About 3 weeks ago, the WPI changed their website, now stating that none of the original 101 samples came from Peterson's Bio Bank, and that they all were collected between 2006-2009. It states:
"Dr. Daniel Peterson understood the promise that a historical bio bank could bring to scientific understanding thus he began collecting and storing patient samples in the early 1980's. However, it is important to note that no samples from this historical bio bank were used in the Institute's XMRV studies." http://www.wpinstitute.org/research/research_biobank.html
So they clearly state that none of the 101 samples from the original Science punlication were from earlier than 2006. But sample "WPI-1125" clearly shows that it is from as early as 1988. In addition to this, on the same page of the WPI website, there is a section entitled "FAQs about the Whittemore Peterson Institute Bio Bank". It states that for the original XMRV study:
"All samples were collected from 2006-2009, under the WPI's research department with signed patient consent forms."
They also address the issue of lymphoma, stating that:
"Blood samples from the WPI repository were chosen at random and there were no patients chosen with lymphoma or mention of lymphoma in this study. Another preliminary study was done at a later date that had nothing to do with the XMRV Science publication."
http://www.wpinstitute.org/research/research_biobank.html
Peterson's slide-show from his October 29th CFSAC presentation was available in paper format; it is 5 pages long, with 5 slides per page.
On page 5 of the original XMRV Science study published on October 8th, 11 samples representative of the CFS patients that were assayed for the GAG are marked as group "A", and appear on the left of the page. Of theses 11 patients, the 7th from the left is represented as "WPI-1125". In Peterson's presentation, page 1, slide 5 is similar to the GAG assay results from the original Science study, marked group "A". It is difficult to read, but on this slide, the 7th from the left in group "A" is also identified as "WPI-1125" -- the same patient as the Science article. On this slide, it also clearly indicates that these 11 samples are part of the 101 patient CFS cohort. This is represented at the bottom of the slide, by the "68/101 (67%)".
On page 5 of Peterson's presentation, the 2nd slide of the page (22nd overall), is titled, "WPI-1125 CFS Diagnosis One Decade Prior to MCL". In this slide, patient "WPI-1125" is again identified as part of the CFS cohort. Furthermore, it includes a timeline of his illness:
- 1988 -- Seen at NIH for CFS
- 1998 -- Splenectomy to decrease aggressiveness
- 2000 -- Seen at NIH for mantle cell lymphoma. Given Rituxan and Velcade.
- 2004 -- BMT with adult stem cells
- 2008 -- Blast crisis MCL ... death
During his presentation, Peterson stated that they had went back and looked at samples from his Bio Bank since the original Science publication, and I don't doubt this. However, the initial Science publication clearly shows that patient "WPI-1125" was included in the original 101 CFS cohort. In addition, it was clearly known since at least 2000 that patient "WPI-1125" had lymphoma. The statement on WPI's website about all of the 101 original samples being from 2006-2009 was only posted to their website approximately 2-3 weeks ago. At that time, the statement that none of the original 101 samples had lymphoma was posted to the WPI site as well.
The WPI site states that: "Another preliminary study was done at a later date that had nothing to do with the (original) XMRV Science publication." -- however this clearly contradicts the inclusion of patient "WPI-1125" in the original study. Like I said, I don't doubt further sampling has been done, but it is blatantly obvious that something is not right here...
"WPI-1125" is also mentioned in the "Supporting Online Material" published by Science on October 23rd, but the same sample WITH lymphoma, and FROM Peterson's repository WAS included in the original 101 cohort...
This is the only patient that I have spent time looking into -- I don't know if other samples from the original 101 CFS cohort had lymphoma, or if they were from Peterson's Bio Bank, and not from 2006-2009, as WPI claims...