title: Investigation into the presence of and serological response to XMRV in CFS patients.
abstract: The novel human gammaretrovirus xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), originally described in prostate cancer, has also been implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). When later reports failed to confirm the link to CFS, they were often criticised for not using the conditions described in the original study. Here, we revisit our patient cohort to investigate the XMRV status in those patients by means of the original PCR protocol which linked the virus to CFS. In addition, sera from our CFS patients were assayed for the presence of xenotropic virus envelope protein, as well as a serological response to it. The results further strengthen our contention that there is no evidence for an association of XMRV with CFS, at least in the UK.
authors.affiliation: Jefferiss Research Trust Laboratories, Section of Infectious Diseases, Wright-Fleming Institute, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Erlwein
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wills
authors.forename: Shozo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izui
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wessely
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cleare
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.forename: Myra O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: McClure
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D058008:Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral