title: A multicenter blinded analysis indicates no association between chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis and either xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus or polytropic murine leukemia virus.
abstract: The disabling disorder known as chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) has been linked in two independent studies to infection with xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) and polytropic murine leukemia virus (pMLV). Although the associations were not confirmed in subsequent studies by other investigators, patients continue to question the consensus of the scientific community in rejecting the validity of the association. Here we report blinded analysis of peripheral blood from a rigorously characterized, geographically diverse population of 147 patients with CFS/ME and 146 healthy subjects by the investigators describing the original association. This analysis reveals no evidence of either XMRV or pMLV infection. IMPORTANCE Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis has an estimated prevalence of 42/10,000 in the United States, with annual direct medical costs of $7 billion. Here, the original investigators who found XMRV and pMLV (polytropic murine leukemia virus) in blood of subjects with this disorder report that this association is not confirmed in a blinded analysis of samples from rigorously characterized subjects. The increasing frequency with which molecular methods are used for pathogen discovery poses new challenges to public health and support of science. It is imperative that strategies be developed to rapidly and coherently address discoveries so that they can be carried forward for translation to clinical medicine or abandoned to focus resource investment more productively. Our study provides a paradigm for pathogen dediscovery that may be helpful to others working in this field.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Harvey J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: Judy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mikovits
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Switzer
authors.forename: Francis W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Ruscetti
authors.forename: Shyh-Ching
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Klimas
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Komaroff
authors.forename: Jose G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.forename: Lucinda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bateman
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Maureen R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Afia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genfi
authors.forename: Meera
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: HaoQiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bingjie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guo-Chiuan
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Li Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sameroff
authors.forename: Walid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Heneine
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coffin
authors.forename: Mady
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hornig
authors.forename: W Ian
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Lipkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015673:Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009052:Leukemia Virus, Murine / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014481:United States; D058008:Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D055815:Young Adult