Research published today from Imperial and King's College London announces that they have been unsuccessful in finding the XMRV retrovirus in a sample of British patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Last year, as reported on our website, the Whittlemore Peterson Institute in America found that 68 out of 101 patients with the illness appeared to be infected with the virus, compared to 8 out of 218 healthy controls.
The recent UK study analysed tissue samples from 186 patients with CFS using sensitive molecular testing techniques, but found no evidence that they had the XMRV virus.
In a press release issued by Imperial College, Professor Myra McClure, one of the authors of the study, said:
"Our research was carried out under rigorous conditions - we looked at samples from well-studied patients, and we used very sensitive testing methods to look for the virus. If it had been there, we would have found it. The lab in which we carried out the analysis had never housed any of the murine leukaemia viruses related to XMRV, and we took great care to ensure there was no contamination.
"We are confident that our results show there is no link between XMRV and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, at least in the UK. The US study had some dramatic results that implied people with the illness could be treated with anti-retrovirals. Our recommendation to people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome would be not to change their treatment regime, because our results suggest that anti-retrovirals would not be an effective treatment for the condition," added Professor McClure.
Sir Peter Spencer, Action for M.E. says:
"Action for M.E. is disappointed to hear about these findings but no single small-scale study can be conclusive and the fact remains: American researchers found XMRV virus in 68 out of 101 people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Were those samples contaminated - or were those people susceptible to XMRV because they had CFS?
"What we need is more research involving large numbers of carefully characterised patients at a number of sites, preferably using fresh, not stored, blood samples. We also need studies on large numbers of both healthy people and people with other conditions.
"250,000 British men, women and children have this devastating illness. They need answers, better treatments and a cure."
Official statement from Whittlemore Peterson Institute regarding the UK research.
