Medical - Overviews

Retrovirus - Quick Facts

(Unless otherwise indicated, information is from http://www.wpinstitute/org)

• Retrovirus:  XMRV   (xenotropic murine-leukemia-virus–related virus)
• First discovered:  in prostrate cancer tumors
• First discovered in ME/CFS patients:  October 2009
  Original test of blood - 67% positive
  http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/data/1179052/DC1/1
  Refined test of blood plasma - 95% positive
• 3 separate labs tested for & were first to discover XMRV in ME/CFS patients:  National Cancer Institute, Whittemore Peterson Institute, Cleveland Clinic http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/CFSxmrv
• Researchers used PCR assays and Flow cytometry
  http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/data/1179052/DC1/1
• Blood samples came from several regions of US & a few from other countries
• Criteria used for patient selection:  Canadian Criteria & Fukuda Criteria 
  http://www.sciencmag.org/cgi/data/1179052/DC1/1
• XMRV was also found in some fibromyalgia & atypical MS patients
• Contagious through blood transmission.
• Not contagious via air
• Elevated Rnase-L pathway & low Natural Killer cells are usually present in ME/CFS patients with XMRV.
• Retroviruses can activate other latent viruses e.g.  EBV
  http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/CFSxmrv
• ME/CFS is now a XAND (X associated neuro-immune disease)
• Replication by inserting itself into the host cell's DNA, thus further generations of the cell will contain this viral DNA.  http://www.chronicfatiguetreatments.com/wordpress/treatments/xmrv-dr-david-bell/
• "Secret Weapon" of retroviruses identified - 02/2010.  A "virulence factor" inhibits the host immune response and allows the virus to spread throughout the body. This factor is a sequence of amino acids that is located in the envelope protein of the virus.  Abstract Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100215130341.htm