title: Lack of evidence for a role of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and/or chronic fatigue syndrome.
abstract: Since the discovery of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in 2006, one of the most controversial topics is whether it contributes to the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa) and/or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The debate began with the failure to detect XMRV in clinical PCa samples. Concerns about the potential health risk of XMRV exposure were reinforced by a study demonstrating the presence of XMRV in patients with CFS. However, serious concerns on whether XMRV plays a role in the development of PCa and/or CFS have been raised. However, inconsistent reports linking XMRV with PCa and/or CFS have led to conflicting views about the potential of XMRV as a human pathogen. Several recent studies suggest that contamination could account for the positive correlations between XMRV and PCa and/or CFS to date. At present, evidence does not indicate that XMRV plays any role in the pathogenesis of PCa or CFS.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital of the Ministry of Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China. Pinghong98@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D058008:Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*