m.e./c.f.s - research breakthough: link with retrovirus xmrv

Xenotropic Murine Leukemia virus related Virus (XMRV)

Research Breakthrough News

8th October 2009

WHITTEMORE-PETERSON INSTITUTE PRESS RELEASE (.pdf document)

This evening and around the world, news and scientific web sites are publishing details of a groundbreaking scientific research study that for the first time links a normally dormant retrovirus called XMRV to patients with a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. This virus is also related to a subset of patients with Prostate Cancer. You can read an overview of XMRV in relation to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis here.

According to the study which was published in the respected Journal "Science", over 67% of those with CFS tested positive for the XMRV virus compared to only 3.7% of health controls.

In this initial study only 101 CFS patients had their blood tested compared to 218 healthy controls but the researchers have stated clearly that their findings are significant and indicate that this retro-virus plays a key role in the development of CFS or ME.

They go on to state that 3.7% of a healthy population are probably silent carriers of XMRV and that this virus lies dormant until activated possibly by another infection such as Herpes Virus HHV6, CMV or EBV for example.

XMRV has also been discovered in the tissue cells of a subset of prostate cancer patients and it was this finding linked to R-NaseL dysregulation that prompted the researchers to see if XMRV would be found elsewhere such as in patients with CFS or ME - patients who also demonstrate R-NaseL dysregulation.

XMRV can be transmitted by something as simple as brushing teeth in a shared area or sharing a can of lemonade and this may explain why families sometimes have more than one member with CFS.

For more information follow the links below......

This page will be updated with fresh links and information as and when they become available.

This is a big day for the ME population globally and quite probably the beginning of the end for those who have persistently claimed that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis are mental health disorders or functional psychosomatic syndromes curable with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Graded Exercise.

There are members of the profession of psychiatry who have for years denigrated and persecuted and indeed abused patients with their unproven illness beliefs.

Patients have had to live with members of the profession of psychiatry claiming that their dire states of ill health were caused by faulty illness beliefs and patients have over the space of 15 years passionately expressed the view that Professor Simon Wessely and his colleagues who claimed to be experts in CFS/ME have always been wholly and completely wrong.

As a campaigner and activist I have always stuck to the belief that the pseudo-science and the psychobabble of Professor Wessely and his cronies were fundamentally wrong.

My web site is a testament to the views of very knowledgeable people who provide ample evidence to confound the views of functional psychiatrists.

We have been waiting so long for solid scientific research to catch up and that research is finally catching up to yet again prove that psychiatrists got it wrong.

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