Research abstract: suggested further study of cerebrospinal fluid in patients with CFS

From “Annals of Neurology” (brief communication), 4 February, 2011.

Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in chronic fatigue patients for multiple ubiquitous viruses and XMRV

Steven E. Schutzer MD1,*,
Megan A. Rounds MS2,
Benjamin H. Natelson MD1,3,
David J. Ecker PhD2,
Mark W. Eshoo PhD2

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Departments of Medicine (SS) and Neurology (BN), Newark, New Jersey 07103

Ibis Biosciences, Inc. Carlsbad, California, USA

Albert Einstein School of Medicine, Bronx NY and Beth Israel Medical Center, Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, New York, NY 10003

Email: Steven E. Schutzer MD (schutzer@…)

*Correspondence: Steven E. Schutzer MD, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School, Departments of Medicine (SS) and Neurology (BN), Newark, New Jersey 0710

Publication History

Accepted manuscript online: 4 FEB 2011 08:50AM EST
Manuscript Accepted: 24 JAN 2011
Manuscript Revised: 20 JAN 2011
Manuscript Received: 22 DEC 2010
Funded by National Institutes of Health. Grant Numbers: AI088765, AI32247

Abstract

Recent reports showed many patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) harbor a retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus (XMRV) in blood; other studies could not replicate this finding. A useful next step would be to examine cerebrospinal fluid because in some patients CFS is thought to be a brain disorder. Finding a CNS microbe would have greater significance than in blood because of the integrity of the blood-brain-barrier. We examined, but did not find XMRV, nor multiple common other viruses in cerebrospinal fluid from 43 CFS patients using PCR techniques, suggesting exploration of other causes or pathogenetic mechanisms is warranted.

Link to Annals of Neurology HERE

Copyright © 2011 American Neurological Association