Comment on "Detection of an infectious retrovirus, XMRV, in blood cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome".
Lombardi et al. (Reports, 23 October 2009, p. 585) reported an association between the human gammaretrovirus XMRV and chronic fatigue syndrome. However, their results may be misleading because of various potential sources of bias and confounding. If real, the association may lack generalizability because of the specific characteristics of the cases studied and could be due to reverse causality.
Sudlow
Cathie
C
Division of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK. cathie.sudlow@ed.ac.uk
Macleod
Malcolm
M
Al-Shahi Salman
Rustam
R
Stone
Jon
J
D015982:Bias; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000821:virology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D017988:Gammaretrovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000821:virology*; D013048:Specimen Handling; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000821:virology*