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Published Online October 8, 2009
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1179052

Reports

Submitted on July 14, 2009
Accepted on August 31, 2009

Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Vincent C. Lombardi 1{dagger}, Francis W. Ruscetti 2{dagger}, Jaydip Das Gupta 3, Max A. Pfost 1, Kathryn S. Hagen 1, Daniel L. Peterson 1, Sandra K. Ruscetti 4, Rachel K. Bagni 5, Cari Petrow-Sadowski 6, Bert Gold 2, Michael Dean 2, Robert H. Silverman 3, Judy A. Mikovits 1*

1 Whittemore Peterson Institute, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
2 Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.
3 Department of Cancer Biology, The Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
4 Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.
5 Advanced Technology Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.
6 Basic Research Program, Scientific Applications International Corporation, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Judy A. Mikovits , E-mail: judym{at}wpinstitute.org

{dagger}These authors contributed equally to this work.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disease of unknown etiology that is estimated to affect 17 million people worldwide. Studying peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from CFS patients, we identified DNA from a human gammaretrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), in 68 of 101 patients (67%) compared to 8 of 218 (3.7%) healthy controls. Cell culture experiments revealed that patient-derived XMRV is infectious and that both cell-associated and cell-free transmission of the virus are possible. Secondary viral infections were established in uninfected primary lymphocytes and indicator cell lines following exposure to activated PBMCs, B cells, T cells, or plasma derived from CFS patients. These findings raise the possibility that XMRV may be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of CFS.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
A New Virus for Old Diseases?.
J. M. Coffin and J. P. Stoye (2009)
Science 326, 530-531
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