Chronic Fatigue and Murine Lukemia Virus

[watervole]

On behalf of the four people I know with ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - recent research shows that 95% of sufferers have antibodies to murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV).

One should always be cautious of early research results, perhaps especially when they tell you what you want to believe, but the sample sizes and confidence levels look good. 

"The study, published in the journal Science, shows that the virus, called murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV), was found in 68 of 101 patients from around the US with chronic fatigue syndrome. This compared with just eight of 218 healthy "controls" drawn at random from the same parts of the US, the scientists said.

But the senior author of the study, Judy Mikovits, director of research at the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Reno, Nevada, said further blood tests have revealed that more than 95 per cent of patients with the syndrome have antibodies to the virus – indicating they have been infected with XMRV, which can lie dormant within a patient's DNA. "With those numbers, I would say, yes we've found the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. We also have data showing that the virus attacks the human immune system," said Dr Mikovits. She is testing a further 500 blood samples gathered from chronic fatigue patients diagnosed in London. "The same percentages are holding up," she said."

When I had one friend with ME, I believed it might have a mental cause. The second friend - who was as strong a personality as you could wish for and a keen dancer - convinced me, because I saw her trying, that the disease cannot be overcome by exercise or positive thinking.  The third friend, who was a doctor, made me realise that 'chronic fatigue' is an understatement. The disease can cause severe pain as well as exhaustion.  The fourth made me realise just how widespread this illness is.

Now we have a cause, maybe there will eventaually be hope of a cure.
 

Comments

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's really interesting! (And the 5th ME sufferer, sitting beside me, agrees.) I've heard a lot about postviral this and that, but it's mostly been vague waffle. It'd be interesting to see how the antibodies intersect with the gradual-onset form (what mirabehn has) too, given that that's much rarer.

And I admire the way your thoughts about ME changed, too; gives us more hope for the UK government's attitude to it.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

The last sentence is the best of the whole comment. You are an amazing lady! I do hope there will be a proper cure soon! In the meantime, I will keep my fingers for you... I know it is only a symbol, *Hugs*

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is splendid! One of my friends in university had chronic fatigue syndrome--it was awful, although she bore it extremely well and didn't let it get in the way of her finishing her degree and moving on to grad school.

[kerravonsen]

Oh, I hope there will be a cure. I only know one person with chronic fatigue, but he's a close family friend (my eldest brother's Best Man) and deserves better.

[cu-sith.livejournal.com]

This is something I'm very pleased to hear, since my mother was diagnosed with ME a year or so back.

[the-mendicant.livejournal.com]

I have just 'known' since my diagnosis that there was a viral base to it all. How else to explain the mild flu-like symptoms all the time?

An interesting personal development though is the fact that falling in love again appears to have alleviated a lot of my pain and stiffness! I've still got the energy issues but but feel about 10 years younger in terms of ease of movement.

Oh and a belated Happy Birthday. Thursdays are manically busy for me as it is Uni day. Hope you had a good one xxx