Clifford H. Shin1, Lucinda Bateman2, Robert Schlaberg1, Ashley M. Bunker3, Christopher J. Leonard1, Ronald W. Hughen4, Alan R. Light4, Kathleen C. Light4, and Ila R. Singh1,*
1 Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt lake City, Utah, 84112
2 Fatigue Consultation Clinic, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102
3 ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108
4 Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112
* Corresponding author: Mailing address: Emma Eccles Jones Medical Research Building, Department of Pathology, 15 North Medical Drive East, Suite #2100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, Phone: (801) 213-3737, Fax: (801) 585-7376, Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a multi-system disorder characterizedby prolonged and severe fatigue that is not relieved by rest.Attempts to treat CFS have been largely ineffective primarilybecause the etiology of the disorder is unknown. Recently CFShas been associated with xenotropic murine leukemia virus-relatedvirus (XMRV) as well as other murine leukemia virus (MLV)-relatedviruses, though not all studies have found these associations.We collected blood samples from 100 CFS patients and 200 self-reportedhealthy volunteers from the same geographical area. We analyzedthese in a blinded manner using molecular, serological and viralreplication assays. We also analyzed samples from patients inthe original study that reported XMRV in CFS. We did not findXMRV or related MLVs, either as viral sequences or infectiousvirus, nor did we find antibodies to these viruses in any ofthe patient samples, including those from the original study.We show that at least some of the discrepancy with previousstudies is due to the presence of trace amounts of mouse DNAin the Taq polymerase enzymes used in these previous studies.Our findings do not support an association between CFS and MLV-relatedviruses including XMRV and off-label use of antiretrovirals for the treatment of CFS does not seem justified at present.