Biologisch Medisch Centrum | MLV Virus gevonden bij patienten met het Chronisch Vermoeidheids Syndroom | Paul van Meerendonk Utrecht Epe

RESULTS

The number of CD3+ T cells and CD57+ lymphocytes

was significantly lower

compared to the reference values.

C4a and elastase activity

were significantly higher

in the XMRV positive CFS population.

Soluble CD14

which codes for LPS in the plasma

was significantly higher

at p < 0.001 compared to the reference population.

XMRV positive CFS patients

had significantly higher

serum IL-10, MCP-1 , MIP-1 beta and IL-8 levels.

Serum levels of other cytokines

(IL-12, IL-1 beta, IL-6, TGF-beta and alpha-TNF)

were not statistically different

compared to the reference values.

Other lymphocyte subsets

showed

no difference from the reference in the XMRV positive patients.

Stool lgA and lgG3

were statistically lower

in the XMRV positive patients.

CONCLUSION

The results of this preliminary study in a limited number of subjects

show that XMRV positive CFS patients have

lower than normal levels of lymphocytes and low numbers of CD57+ lymphocyte subtype

as in HIV.

The absolute numbers of CD4+ and CD8+T cells

were not statistically different from the reference values,

but expanding this study to a larger number of patients is necessary

to make solid statements in this regard.

XMRV-positive CFS patients have an activated innate immune system

(elastase activity, increased C4a)

which could be related to microbial translocation

as their sCD14 is significantly higher than expected;

sCD14 strongly correlates with plasma LPS 1.

Low stool IgA (in some of these 16 patients it was undetectable)

also points towards a dysfunctional mucosa-associated lymphomal tissue (MALT)

in XMRV-positive CFS patients.

Furthermore we found that

these patients as a group have lower than normal lgG3 serum levels.

The cytokines IL-8, IL-10, MCP-1 and MIP-1beta are increased

and might constitute a biological signature for the viral infection.

These observations and others

(unpublished data on serum levels of LPS in CFS patients)

provide evidence for

microbial translocation

being part of

the pathophysiology

of XMRV positive patients.


 

No Evidence of Murine-Like Gammaretroviruses in CFS Patients Previously

Murine-like gammaretroviruses (MLVs), most
notably XMRV [xenotropic murine leukemia virus
(X-MLV)–related virus], have been reported to be
present in the blood of patients with chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS). We evaluated blood samples from
61 patients with CFS from a single clinical practice,
43 of whom had previously been identified as
XMRV-positive. Our analysis included polymerase
chain reaction and reverse transcription polymerase
chain reaction procedures for detection of viral
nucleic acids and assays for detection of infectious
virus and virus-specific antibodies. We found no
evidence of XMRV or other MLVs in these blood
samples. In addition, we found that these
gammaretroviruses were strongly (X-MLV) or
partially (XMRV) susceptible to inactivation by sera
from CFS patients and healthy controls, which
suggested that establishment of a successful MLV
infection in humans would be unlikely. Consistent
with previous reports, we detected MLV sequences
in commercial laboratory reagents. Our results
indicate that previous evidence linking XMRV and
MLVs to CFS is likely attributable to laboratory
contamination.