Transfusion, 19 August 2011. doi: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2011.03267.x. [Epub ahead of print]
Absence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in blood donors in China.
Mi Z, Lu Y, Zhang S, An X, Wang X, Chen B, Wang Q, Tong Y.
From the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology and Affiliated Hospital, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a novel human gammaretrovirus that was first identified in patients with prostate cancer in 2006. Subsequent studies have shown that XMRV is also detected in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and even in some healthy controls and blood donors. However, some conflicting findings have been reported by different laboratories or in different regions. The association of XMRV with human diseases and the prevalence of XMRV in different populations needs to be further determined.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:
XMRV was screened in 391 blood samples from healthy blood donors in China. Nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify gag and env genes of XMRV from total RNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) and plasma, respectively. Quantitative PCR was performed to detect XMRV env gene in genomic DNA of PBMNCs. To enhance the detection sensitivity, plasma was added into LNCaP cells to amplify XMRV in the plasma samples.
RESULTS:
No XMRV was found in the 391 blood donors in China or in the LNCaP cells inoculated with plasma from the blood donors.
CONCLUSION:
Both PCR and virus isolation in highly permissive LNCaP cells failed to detect XMRV in 391 Chinese blood donors, indicating that XMRV infection might not be present in blood donors in China.
© 2011 American Association of Blood Banks.
PMID:21854397 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]
I have seen no reference to the JHK virus on these newspages so here goes;
the patent http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5827750/fulltext.html
the genebank link
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/HM119591.1
The Genebank entry for this virus was made on the 11th August 2011, but the virus was isolated from blood taken from a CFS/ME patient in 1989. The research was done throughout the 1990s
It is an XMRV variant which predates the theoretical origin of XMRV in the Paprotka paper.
This research was done using classical virological techniques and not by solely depending on PCR techniques.
The FDA issued the following “Request for Quotations” on August 4th 2011
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=900c38ccd91cf604cf8e5e09c428b49b&tab=core&tabmode=list&=
together with the following comment:
“In order to study the role of host factors in HIV and XMRV pathogenesis and identifying new biomarkers, Differential In-Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE) is required.”
Now why do think they would do that if they don’t have real evidence that XMRV (and its mutant strains) poses a real threat as a human pathogen?