Abstract
XMRV or xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus, a recently discovered retrovirus, has been linked to both prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Recently, the teams of Drs. Shyh-Ching Lo and Harvey Alter discovered the presence of sequences closely related to XMRV in the blood of 86.5% of patients with CFS [1]. These findings are important because since the initial discovery of XMRV in CFS, several studies have failed to find XMRV in specimens collected from CFS patients. While the current study also did not find XMRV in CFS, Lo et al. did detect sequences that belong to polytropic mouse endogenous retroviruses (PMV), which share considerable similarity with XMRV. Criteria for future studies that will help bring greater clarity to the issue of retroviral sequences in CFS are proposed below.
Highlights
XMRV or xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus, a recently discovered retrovirus, has been linked to both prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
While the current study did not find XMRV in CFS, Lo et al did detect sequences that belong to polytropic mouse endogenous retroviruses (PMV)
While each of these viruses, xenotropic, polytropic and modified-polytropic viruses (M-PMV), has been placed in distinct categories within the larger subgroup of murine leukemia viruses, it is important to note that they share considerable similarity with each other and utilize alleles of the same receptor for viral entry
Summary
XMRV or xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus, a recently discovered retrovirus, has been linked to both prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Lo et al discovered the presence of sequences closely related to XMRV in the blood of 86.5% of patients with CFS. While the current study did not find XMRV in CFS, Lo et al did detect sequences that belong to polytropic mouse endogenous retroviruses (PMV).
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