Testing strategies for detection of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus infection.
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a newly identified gamma retrovirus and may be associated with prostate cancer- (PC) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Since its identification in 2006 and detection of polytropic murine lenkemia virus (MLV)-like sequences in CFS patients in 2010, several test methods including nucleic acid testing methods and serological assays have been developed for detection of XMRV and/or MLV-like sequences. However, these research assays have not yet been validated and evaluated due to the lack of well-characterized reference materials. Mouse DNA contamination should be carefully checked when testing human specimens in order to avoid false-positive detection of XMRV or MLV-like sequences.
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, CBER, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Shixing
S
Tang
Indira K
IK
Hewlett