title: Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV)-specific proviral DNA has been recently detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Since chronic fatigue is commonly reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) we aimed at testing the presence of this virus in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five SLE patients, 45 of whom had a Fatigue Severity Scale score higher than 3, were included. Molecular analyses were performed by PCR from DNA obtained from the whole blood of both SLE patients and 50 healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the 145 samples analyzed yielded the specific XMRV PCR product.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that XMRV is not detected in blood neither from SLE patients nor from healthy controls. It leads to infer that other environmental and biological triggers (different from XMRV) may account for the increased levels of fatigue over the course of SLE.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Vall d'Hebron Hospital, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. ebalada@ir.vhebron.net
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balada
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castro-Marrero
authors.forename: Lledó
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Felip
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vilardell-Tarrés
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ordi-Ros
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005221:Fatigue / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000821:virology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology; D058008:Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004279:DNA, Viral