Letter from Scottish CMO Harry Burns to Convener of
Scottish Cross Party Group on ME
XENOTROPIC MURINE LEUKAEMIA VIRUS (MLV) – RELATED VIRUS (XMRV)
I have now had comments back from Scottish virologists. Clearly, your
enquiry stimulated significant discussion amongst the group.
They tell me that although they would very much like to be involved in
looking for an effective cause for chronic fatigue system, they believe
that recent publications looking for XMRV DNA in patients with CFS is
not a worthwhile exercise. I understand thet Prof. Peter Simmonds has
already looked for evidence of XMRV in stored samples from CFS patients
and has been unable to find any evidence of this infection. I understand
it has previously been claimed that the virus has been associated with
prostate cancer but again could not be found in two recent European
studies.The virologists tell me that contamination of chemicals with
mouse DNA is frequent and not always recognized,
and the weight of evidence is now building up to suggest that the paper
recently published by the research group in the USA may well have
suffered from from problems of contamination.
The Scottish virology group remains willing to be involved in potential
investigations to
Link CFS with a viral infection in the future, should suitable
candidates emerge.
I am sorry this does not appear to be the answer to this difficult
complex condition.
Kind regards.
Scottish Cross Party Group on ME
XENOTROPIC MURINE LEUKAEMIA VIRUS (MLV) – RELATED VIRUS (XMRV)
I have now had comments back from Scottish virologists. Clearly, your
enquiry stimulated significant discussion amongst the group.
They tell me that although they would very much like to be involved in
looking for an effective cause for chronic fatigue system, they believe
that recent publications looking for XMRV DNA in patients with CFS is
not a worthwhile exercise. I understand thet Prof. Peter Simmonds has
already looked for evidence of XMRV in stored samples from CFS patients
and has been unable to find any evidence of this infection. I understand
it has previously been claimed that the virus has been associated with
prostate cancer but again could not be found in two recent European
studies.The virologists tell me that contamination of chemicals with
mouse DNA is frequent and not always recognized,
and the weight of evidence is now building up to suggest that the paper
recently published by the research group in the USA may well have
suffered from from problems of contamination.
The Scottish virology group remains willing to be involved in potential
investigations to
Link CFS with a viral infection in the future, should suitable
candidates emerge.
I am sorry this does not appear to be the answer to this difficult
complex condition.
Kind regards.