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Syed Lal Badshah, Ullah A, Syed S. The Role of Zinc-Finger Antiviral Proteins in Immunity against Viruses. MOLECULAR GENETICS MICROBIOLOGY AND VIROLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.3103/s0891416820020020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Rasa S, Nora-Krukle Z, Henning N, Eliassen E, Shikova E, Harrer T, Scheibenbogen C, Murovska M, Prusty BK. Chronic viral infections in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). J Transl Med 2018; 16:268. [PMID: 30285773 PMCID: PMC6167797 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-018-1644-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and main text Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex and controversial clinical condition without having established causative factors. Increasing numbers of cases during past decade have created awareness among patients as well as healthcare professionals. Chronic viral infection as a cause of ME/CFS has long been debated. However, lack of large studies involving well-designed patient groups and validated experimental set ups have hindered our knowledge about this disease. Moreover, recent developments regarding molecular mechanism of pathogenesis of various infectious agents cast doubts over validity of several of the past studies. Conclusions This review aims to compile all the studies done so far to investigate various viral agents that could be associated with ME/CFS. Furthermore, we suggest strategies to better design future studies on the role of viral infections in ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santa Rasa
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Zaiga Nora-Krukle
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Nina Henning
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eva Eliassen
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Evelina Shikova
- Department of Virology, National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Thomas Harrer
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute for Medical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany
| | - Modra Murovska
- Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Rīga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia
| | - Bhupesh K Prusty
- Biocenter, Chair of Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. .,Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Würzburg, Germany.
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Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus (XMRV) and the Safety of the Blood Supply. Clin Microbiol Rev 2017; 29:749-57. [PMID: 27358491 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00086-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2006, a new virus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), was discovered in a cohort of U.S. men with prostate cancer. Soon after this initial finding, XMRV was also detected in samples from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The blood community, which is highly sensitive to the threat of emerging infectious diseases since the HIV/AIDS crisis, recommended indefinite deferral of all blood donors with a history of CFS. As XMRV research progressed, conflicting results emerged regarding the importance of this virus in the pathophysiology of prostate cancer and/or CFS. Molecular biologists traced the development of XMRV to a recombination event in a laboratory mouse that likely occurred circa 1993. The virus was propagated via cell lines derived from a tumor present in this mouse and spread through contamination of laboratory samples. Well-controlled experiments showed that detection of XMRV was due to contaminated samples and was not a marker of or a causal factor in prostate cancer or CFS. This paper traces the development of XMRV in the prostate and CFS scientific communities and explores the effect it had on the blood community.
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Irlbeck DM, Vernon SD, McCleary KK, Bateman L, Klimas NG, Lapp CW, Peterson DL, Brown JR, Remlinger KS, Wilfret DA, Gerondelis P. No association found between the detection of either xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus or polytropic murine leukemia virus and chronic fatigue syndrome in a blinded, multi-site, prospective study by the establishment and use of the SolveCFS BioBank. BMC Res Notes 2014; 7:461. [PMID: 25092471 PMCID: PMC4236736 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-7-461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 07/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In 2009, a retrospective study reported the detection of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in clinical isolates derived from individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS). While many efforts to confirm this observation failed, one report detected polytropic murine leukemia virus (pMLV), instead of XMRV. In both studies, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based methods were employed which could provide the basis for the development of a practical diagnostic tool. To confirm these studies, we hypothesized that the ability to detect these viruses will not only depend upon the technical details of the methods employed but also on the criteria used to diagnose CFS and the availability of well characterized clinical isolates. Methods A repository of clinical isolates from geographically distinct sites was generated by the collection of fresh blood samples from well characterized CFS and healthy subjects. Molecular techniques were used to generate assay positive controls and to determine the lower limit of detection (LLOD) for murine retroviral and Intracisternal A particle (Cell 12(4):963-72, 1977) detection methods. Results We report the establishment of a repository of well-defined, clinical isolates from five, geographically distinct regions of the US, the comparative determination of the LLODs and validation efforts for the previously reported detection methods and the results of an effort to confirm the association of these retroviral signatures in isolates from individuals with CFS in a blinded, multi-site, prospective study. We detected various, murine retroviral DNA signatures but were unable to resolve a difference in the incidence of their detection between isolates from CFS (5/72; 6.7%) and healthy (2/37; 5.4%) subjects (Fisher’s Exact Test, p-value = 1). The observed sequences appeared to reflect the detection of endogenous murine retroviral DNA, which was not identical to either XMRV or pMLV. Conclusions We were unable to confirm a previously reported association between the detection of XMRV or pMLV sequences and CFS in a prospective, multi-site study. Murine retroviral sequences were detected at a low frequency that did not differ between CFS and control subjects. The nature of these sequences appeared to reflect the detection of pre-existing, endogenous, murine retroviral DNA in the PCR reagents employed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Peter Gerondelis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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The saga of XMRV: a virus that infects human cells but is not a human virus. Emerg Microbes Infect 2014; 3:e. [PMID: 26038516 PMCID: PMC4008767 DOI: 10.1038/emi.2014.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was discovered in 2006 in a search for a viral etiology of human prostate cancer (PC). Substantial interest in XMRV as a potentially new pathogenic human retrovirus was driven by reports that XMRV could be detected in a significant percentage of PC samples, and also in tissues from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). After considerable controversy, etiologic links between XMRV and these two diseases were disproven. XMRV was determined to have arisen during passage of a human PC tumor in immunocompromised nude mice, by activation and recombination between two endogenous murine leukemia viruses from cells of the mouse. The resulting XMRV had a xentropic host range, which allowed it replicate in the human tumor cells in the xenograft. This review describes the discovery of XMRV, and the molecular and virological events leading to its formation, XMRV infection in animal models and biological effects on infected cells. Lessons from XMRV for other searches of viral etiologies of cancer are discussed, as well as cautions for researchers working on human tumors or cell lines that have been passed through nude mice, includingpotential biohazards associated with XMRV or other similar xenotropic murine leukemia viruses (MLVs).
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Rezaei SD, Hearps AC, Mills J, Pedersen J, Tachedjian G. No association between XMRV or related gammaretroviruses in Australian prostate cancer patients. Virol J 2013; 10:20. [PMID: 23305518 PMCID: PMC3560155 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-10-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a gammaretrovirus reported to be associated with prostate cancer (PC) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). While the association of XMRV with CFS and PC has recently been discredited, no studies have been performed in Australian patients to investigate the association between PC and XMRV or related murine leukemia virus (MLV) in matched PC and normal tissue. METHODS Genomic DNA (gDNA) was purified from matched normal and cancer formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) prostate tissue from 35 Australian PC patients with Gleason scores ranging from 7 - 10. The presence of the ribonuclease L (RNase L) polymorphism R462Q was determined by allele specific PCR. Samples were screened for XMRV and related murine leukemia virus (MLV) variants by qPCR. Contaminating mouse DNA was detected using qPCR targeting mouse intracisternal A particle long terminal repeat DNA. RESULTS gDNA was successfully purified from 94% (66/70) of normal and cancer FFPE prostate tissues. RNase L typing revealed 8% were homozygous (QQ), 60% were heterozygous (RQ) and 32% were wild-type (RR) for the RNase L mutation. None of the 66 samples tested were positive for XMRV or related MLV sequences using broad MLV or XMRV specific primers with detection sensitivities of 1 viral copy of MLV/XMRV and XMRV DNA, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Using highly sensitive qPCR we found no evidence of XMRV or related gammaretroviruses in prostate tissues from 35 Australian PC patients. Our findings are consistent with other studies demonstrating that XMRV is a laboratory contaminant that has no role in the aetiology of PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin D Rezaei
- Retroviral Biology and Antivirals Laboratory, Centre for Virology, Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
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Jeang KT. Diversity matters in scientific publishing. Retrovirology 2012; 9:109. [PMID: 23253815 PMCID: PMC3542026 DOI: 10.1186/1742-4690-9-109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of geographic diversity in publishing is emphasized in this editorial.
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Lee D, Das Gupta J, Gaughan C, Steffen I, Tang N, Luk KC, Qiu X, Urisman A, Fischer N, Molinaro R, Broz M, Schochetman G, Klein EA, Ganem D, DeRisi JL, Simmons G, Hackett J, Silverman RH, Chiu CY. In-depth investigation of archival and prospectively collected samples reveals no evidence for XMRV infection in prostate cancer. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44954. [PMID: 23028701 PMCID: PMC3445615 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2012] [Accepted: 08/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
XMRV, or xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus, is a novel gammaretrovirus originally identified in studies that analyzed tissue from prostate cancer patients in 2006 and blood from patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in 2009. However, a large number of subsequent studies failed to confirm a link between XMRV infection and CFS or prostate cancer. On the contrary, recent evidence indicates that XMRV is a contaminant originating from the recombination of two mouse endogenous retroviruses during passaging of a prostate tumor xenograft (CWR22) in mice, generating laboratory-derived cell lines that are XMRV-infected. To confirm or refute an association between XMRV and prostate cancer, we analyzed prostate cancer tissues and plasma from a prospectively collected cohort of 39 patients as well as archival RNA and prostate tissue from the original 2006 study. Despite comprehensive microarray, PCR, FISH, and serological testing, XMRV was not detected in any of the newly collected samples or in archival tissue, although archival RNA remained XMRV-positive. Notably, archival VP62 prostate tissue, from which the prototype XMRV strain was derived, tested negative for XMRV on re-analysis. Analysis of viral genomic and human mitochondrial sequences revealed that all previously characterized XMRV strains are identical and that the archival RNA had been contaminated by an XMRV-infected laboratory cell line. These findings reveal no association between XMRV and prostate cancer, and underscore the conclusion that XMRV is not a naturally acquired human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna Lee
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- University of California San Francisco-Abbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | | | - Imke Steffen
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ning Tang
- Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ka-Cheung Luk
- Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Xiaoxing Qiu
- Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Anatoly Urisman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Nicole Fischer
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ross Molinaro
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Miranda Broz
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | - Eric A. Klein
- Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Don Ganem
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, California, United States of America
| | - Joseph L. DeRisi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Graham Simmons
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - John Hackett
- Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | - Charles Y. Chiu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- University of California San Francisco-Abbott Viral Diagnostics and Discovery Center, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Delviks-Frankenberry K, Cingoz O, Coffin JM, Pathak VK. Recombinant origin, contamination, and de-discovery of XMRV. Curr Opin Virol 2012; 2:499-507. [PMID: 22818188 PMCID: PMC3426297 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2012.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The discovery and de-discovery of the xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been a tumultuous roller-coaster ride for scientists and patients. The initial associations of XMRV with chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer, while providing much hope and optimism, have now been discredited and/or retracted following overwhelming evidence that (1) numerous patient cohorts from around the world are XMRV-negative, (2) the initial reports of XMRV-positive patients were due to contamination with mouse DNA, XMRV plasmid DNA, or virus from the 22Rv1 cell line and (3) XMRV is a laboratory-derived virus generated in the mid 1990s through recombination during passage of a prostate tumor xenograft in immuno-compromised mice. While these developments are disappointing to scientists and patients, they provide a valuable road map of potential pitfalls to the would-be microbe hunters.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oya Cingoz
- Program in Genetics, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston MA
| | - John M. Coffin
- Program in Genetics, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston MA
| | - Vinay K. Pathak
- Viral Mutation Section, NCI, HIV DRP, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD
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No evidence for xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus infection in Sweden using internally controlled multiepitope suspension array serology. CLINICAL AND VACCINE IMMUNOLOGY : CVI 2012; 19:1399-410. [PMID: 22787191 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00391-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Many syndromes have a large number of differential diagnoses, a situation which calls for multiplex diagnostic systems. Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also named chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), is a common disease of unknown etiology. A mouse retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus (XMRV), was found in ME/CFS patients and blood donors, but this was not corroborated. However, the paucity of serological investigations on XMRV in humans prompted us to develop a serological assay which cover many aspects of XMRV antigenicity. It is a novel suspension array method, using a multiplex IgG assay with nine recombinant proteins from the env and gag genes of XMRV and 38 peptides based on known epitopes of vertebrate gammaretroviruses. IgG antibodies were sought in 520 blood donors and 85 ME/CFS patients and in positive- and negative-control sera from animals. We found no differences in seroreactivity between blood donors and ME/CFS patients for any of the antigens. This did not support an association between ME/CFS and XMRV infection. The multiplex serological system had several advantages: (i) biotinylated protein G allowed us to run both human and animal sera, which is essential because of a lack of XMRV-positive humans; (ii) a novel quality control was a pan-peptide positive-control rabbit serum; and (iii) synthetic XMRV Gag peptides with degenerate positions covering most of the variation of murine leukemia-like viruses did not give higher background than nondegenerate analogs. The principle may be used for creation of variant tolerant peptide serologies. Thus, our system allows rational large-scale serological assays with built-in quality control.
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Lack of evidence for a role of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer and/or chronic fatigue syndrome. Virus Res 2012; 167:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2012.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2012] [Revised: 04/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Phylogenetic and biological analysis of a laboratory-generated gammaretrovirus xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV). Virus Genes 2012; 45:218-24. [PMID: 22735937 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-012-0778-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
A xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been reported to be an emerging pathogen associated with prostate cancer (PC) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, recent studies have demonstrated that XMRV is a laboratory-derived virus resulting from genetic recombination between two mouse viral genomes during serial xenograft tissue transplantation. This study describes a phylogenetic analysis that compared XMRV with the ecotropic murine leukemia viruses (E-MLV), xenotropic MLV (X-MLV), and other retroviruses, including HTLV-1 and HIV-1. We found that sequences corresponding to three XMRV structural proteins (Env, Gag, and Pol) exhibited high degrees of homology with X-MLV (>91 %) and E-MLV (67-96 %), but not HTLV-1 (13-16 %) or HIV-1 (10-15 %), indicating that XMRV was derived from X-MLV and/or E-MLV. We then compared the infectivity of XMRV and E-MLV for human and murine lymphocytes, respectively. Results showed that human PBMCs were not susceptible to XMRV infection, suggesting that XMRV exhibits host cell tropism similar to E-MLV that only infects murine PBMCs. These data suggest that it is unlikely that this laboratory-generated retrovirus could cause disease in humans.
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Wang X, Tu F, Zhu Y, Gao G. Zinc-finger antiviral protein inhibits XMRV infection. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39159. [PMID: 22720057 PMCID: PMC3376128 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The zinc-finger antiviral protein (ZAP) is a host factor that specifically inhibits the replication of certain viruses, including Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV), HIV-1, and certain alphaviruses and filoviruses. ZAP binds to specific viral mRNAs and recruits cellular mRNA degradation machinery to degrade the target RNA. The common features of ZAP-responsive RNA sequences remain elusive and thus whether a virus is susceptible to ZAP can only be determined experimentally. Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) is a recently identified γ-retrovirus that was originally thought to be involved in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome but recently proved to be a laboratory artefact. Nonetheless, XMRV as a new retrovirus has been extensively studied. Since XMRV and MoMLV share only 67.9% sequence identity in the 3′UTRs, which is the target sequence of ZAP in MoMLV, whether XMRV is susceptible to ZAP remains to be determined. Findings We constructed an XMRV-luc vector, in which the coding sequences of Gag-Pol and part of Env were replaced with luciferase-coding sequence. Overexpression of ZAP potently inhibited the expression of XMRV-luc in a ZAP expression-level-dependent manner, while downregulation of endogenous ZAP rendered cells more sensitive to infection. Furthermore, ZAP inhibited the spreading of replication-competent XMRV. Consistent with the previously reported mechanisms by which ZAP inhibits viral infection, ZAP significantly inhibited the accumulation of XMRV-luc mRNA in the cytoplasm. The ZAP-responsive element in XMRV mRNA was mapped to the 3′UTR. Conclusions ZAP inhibits XMRV replication by preventing the accumulation of viral mRNA in the cytoplasm. Documentation of ZAP inhibiting XMRV helps to broaden the spectrum of ZAP's antiviral activity. Comparison of the target sequences of ZAP in XMRV and MoMLV helps to better understand the features of ZAP-responsive elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinlu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Tu
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiping Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guangxia Gao
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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Das Gupta J, Luk KC, Tang N, Gaughan C, Klein EA, Kandel ES, Hackett J, Silverman RH. Absence of XMRV and closely related viruses in primary prostate cancer tissues used to derive the XMRV-infected cell line 22Rv1. PLoS One 2012; 7:e36072. [PMID: 22615748 PMCID: PMC3353988 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0036072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 03/25/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The 22Rv1 cell line is widely used for prostate cancer research and other studies throughout the world. These cells were established from a human prostate tumor, CWR22, that was serially passaged in nude mice and selected for androgen independence. The 22Rv1 cells are known to produce high titers of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV). Recent studies suggested that XMRV was inadvertently created in the 1990's when two murine leukemia virus (MLV) genomes (pre-XMRV1 and pre-XMRV-2) recombined during passaging of the CWR22 tumor in mice. The conclusion that XMRV originated from mice and not the patient was based partly on the failure to detect XMRV in early CWR22 xenografts. While that deduction is certainly justified, we examined the possibility that a closely related virus could have been present in primary tumor tissue. Here we report that we have located the original prostate tumor tissue excised from patient CWR22 and have assayed the corresponding DNA by PCR and the tissue sections by fluorescence in situ hybridization for the presence of XMRV or a similar virus. The primary tumor tissues lacked mouse DNA as determined by PCR for intracisternal A type particle DNA, thus avoiding one of the limitations of studying xenografts. We show that neither XMRV nor a closely related virus was present in primary prostate tissue of patient CWR22. Our findings confirm and reinforce the conclusion that XMRV is a recombinant laboratory-generated mouse virus that is highly adapted for human prostate cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaydip Das Gupta
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Ka-Cheung Luk
- Abbott Diagnostics, Emerging Pathogens and Virus Discovery, Abbott Park, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ning Tang
- Abbott Molecular, Des Plaines, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Christina Gaughan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Eric A. Klein
- Glickman Urologic and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Eugene S. Kandel
- Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - John Hackett
- Abbott Diagnostics, Emerging Pathogens and Virus Discovery, Abbott Park, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Robert H. Silverman
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
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Denner J, Tönjes RR. Infection barriers to successful xenotransplantation focusing on porcine endogenous retroviruses. Clin Microbiol Rev 2012; 25:318-43. [PMID: 22491774 PMCID: PMC3346299 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.05011-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Xenotransplantation may be a solution to overcome the shortage of organs for the treatment of patients with organ failure, but it may be associated with the transmission of porcine microorganisms and the development of xenozoonoses. Whereas most microorganisms may be eliminated by pathogen-free breeding of the donor animals, porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) cannot be eliminated, since these are integrated into the genomes of all pigs. Human-tropic PERV-A and -B are present in all pigs and are able to infect human cells. Infection of ecotropic PERV-C is limited to pig cells. PERVs may adapt to host cells by varying the number of LTR-binding transcription factor binding sites. Like all retroviruses, they may induce tumors and/or immunodeficiencies. To date, all experimental, preclinical, and clinical xenotransplantations using pig cells, tissues, and organs have not shown transmission of PERV. Highly sensitive and specific methods have been developed to analyze the PERV status of donor pigs and to monitor recipients for PERV infection. Strategies have been developed to prevent PERV transmission, including selection of PERV-C-negative, low-producer pigs, generation of an effective vaccine, selection of effective antiretrovirals, and generation of animals transgenic for a PERV-specific short hairpin RNA inhibiting PERV expression by RNA interference.
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Mohan KVK, Devadas K, Sainath Rao S, Hewlett I, Atreya C. Identification of XMRV infection-associated microRNAs in four cell types in culture. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32853. [PMID: 22438885 PMCID: PMC3306368 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2011] [Accepted: 01/31/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION XMRV is a gammaretrovirus that was thought to be associated with prostate cancer (PC) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in humans until recently. The virus is culturable in various cells of human origin like the lymphocytes, NK cells, neuronal cells, and prostate cell lines. MicroRNAs (miRNA), which regulate gene expression, were so far not identified in cells infected with XMRV in culture. METHODS Two prostate cell lines (LNCaP and DU145) and two primary cells, Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes [PBL] and Monocyte-derived Macrophages [MDM] were infected with XMRV. Total mRNA was extracted from mock- and virus-infected cells at 6, 24 and 48 hours post infection and evaluated for microRNA profile in a microarray. RESULTS MicroRNA expression profiles of XMRV-infected continuous prostate cancer cell lines differ from that of virus-infected primary cells (PBL and MDMs). miR-193a-3p and miRPlus-E1245 observed to be specific to XMRV infection in all 4 cell types. While miR-193a-3p levels were down regulated miRPlus-E1245 on the other hand exhibited varied expression profile between the 4 cell types. DISCUSSION The present study clearly demonstrates that cellular microRNAs are expressed during XMRV infection of human cells and this is the first report demonstrating the regulation of miR193a-3p and miRPlus-E1245 during XMRV infection in four different human cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ketha V. K. Mohan
- Section of Cell Biology, Laboratory of Cellular Hematology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Krishnakumar Devadas
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Shilpakala Sainath Rao
- Section of Cell Biology, Laboratory of Cellular Hematology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Indira Hewlett
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Chintamani Atreya
- Section of Cell Biology, Laboratory of Cellular Hematology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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Del Prete GQ, Kearney MF, Spindler J, Wiegand A, Chertova E, Roser JD, Estes JD, Hao XP, Trubey CM, Lara A, Lee K, Chaipan C, Bess JW, Nagashima K, Keele BF, Macallister R, Smedley J, Pathak VK, KewalRamani VN, Coffin JM, Lifson JD. Restricted replication of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in pigtailed macaques. J Virol 2012; 86:3152-66. [PMID: 22238316 PMCID: PMC3302341 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.06886-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been previously linked to prostate cancer and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, recent data indicate that results interpreted as evidence of human XMRV infection reflect laboratory contamination rather than authentic in vivo infection. Nevertheless, XMRV is a retrovirus of undefined pathogenic potential that is able to replicate in human cells. Here we describe a comprehensive analysis of two male pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) experimentally infected with XMRV. Following intravenous inoculation with >10(10) RNA copy equivalents of XMRV, viral replication was limited and transient, peaking at ≤2,200 viral RNA (vRNA) copies/ml plasma and becoming undetectable by 4 weeks postinfection, though viral DNA (vDNA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells remained detectable through 119 days of follow-up. Similarly, vRNA was not detectable in lymph nodes by in situ hybridization despite detectable vDNA. Sequencing of cell-associated vDNA revealed extensive G-to-A hypermutation, suggestive of APOBEC-mediated viral restriction. Consistent with limited viral replication, we found transient upregulation of type I interferon responses that returned to baseline by 2 weeks postinfection, no detectable cellular immune responses, and limited or no spread to prostate tissue. Antibody responses, including neutralizing antibodies, however, were detectable by 2 weeks postinfection and maintained throughout the study. Both animals were healthy for the duration of follow-up. These findings indicate that XMRV replication and spread were limited in pigtailed macaques, predominantly by APOBEC-mediated hypermutation. Given that human APOBEC proteins restrict XMRV infection in vitro, human XMRV infection, if it occurred, would be expected to be characterized by similarly limited viral replication and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mary F. Kearney
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Jon Spindler
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Ann Wiegand
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - KyeongEun Lee
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Chawaree Chaipan
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | | | - Rhonda Macallister
- Laboratory Animal Science Program, SAIC—Frederick, Inc., National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeremy Smedley
- Laboratory Animal Science Program, SAIC—Frederick, Inc., National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Vinay K. Pathak
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | | | - John M. Coffin
- HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Korn K, Reil H, Ensser A, Knöll A. No evidence of XMRV infection in immunocompromised patients and HIV-positive individuals from Germany. Infection 2012; 40:181-4. [PMID: 22350961 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-012-0249-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Accepted: 02/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been detected in patients with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The detection of XMRV in healthy individuals has raised concern about a possible virus transmission by blood products. However, recent studies challenge the association between XMRV and human disease. This study investigated whether or not XMRV is present in patients with altered immune function and individuals at increased risk of blood-borne viral infections in Germany. METHODS We investigated 503 peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples from 240 patients with iatrogenic immune suppression (71 haematopoietic stem cell recipients, 132 solid organ transplant recipients, 37 others) and 311 PBMC samples from 302 patients with HIV-1 infection for the presence of proviral XMRV by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS All 814 PBMC samples from 542 patients tested negative for XMRV DNA and positive for an internal herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) control. Human genomic DNA was detected in all samples, and 90% of the samples contained >10,000 cell equivalents per XMRV PCR reaction. CONCLUSIONS Our failure to detect proviral XMRV provides evidence against the presence of XMRV in patients at increased risk of viral infections in Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Korn
- Institute of Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
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19
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Abstract
Background: The aetiology of breast cancer remains elusive. A viral aetiology has been proposed, but to date no virus has been conclusively demonstrated to be involved. Recently, two new viruses, namely Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) and xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV) have been identified and implicated in the pathogenesis of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and familial form of prostate cancer, respectively. Methods: We examined 204 samples from 58 different cases of breast cancer for presence of MCV or XMRV by PCR. Samples consisted of both malignant and non-malignant tissues. Additionally, we included 6 cases of MCC and 12 cases of prostate cancer as potential controls for MCV and XMRV, respectively. Results: All of the breast cancer samples examined were negative for both MCV and XMRV. However, 4/6 MCC and 2/12 prostate cancer samples were found to be positive for MCV and XMRV, respectively. Sequence analysis of the amplified products confirmed that these sequences belonged to MCV and XMRV. Conclusion: We conclude that there is no evidence for the involvement of MCV or XMRV in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. What role these viruses have in the pathogenesis of MCC and prostate carcinomas remains to be demonstrated.
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Gingaras C, Danielson BP, Vigil KJ, Vey E, Arduino RC, Kimata JT. Absence of XMRV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ARV-treatment naïve HIV-1 infected and HIV-1/HCV coinfected individuals and blood donors. PLoS One 2012; 7:e31398. [PMID: 22348082 PMCID: PMC3278456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 01/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been found in the prostatic tissue of prostate cancer patients and in the blood of chronic fatigue syndrome patients. However, numerous studies have found little to no trace of XMRV in different human cohorts. Based on evidence suggesting common transmission routes between XMRV and HIV-1, HIV-1 infected individuals may represent a high-risk group for XMRV infection and spread. Methodology/Principal Findings DNA was isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 179 HIV-1 infected treatment naïve patients, 86 of which were coinfected with HCV, and 54 healthy blood donors. DNA was screened for XMRV provirus with two sensitive, published PCR assays targeting XMRV gag and env and one sensitive, published nested PCR assay targeting env. Detection of XMRV was confirmed by DNA sequencing. One of the 179 HIV-1 infected patients tested positive for gag by non-nested PCR whereas the two other assays did not detect XMRV in any specimen. All healthy blood donors were negative for XMRV proviral sequences. Sera from 23 HIV-1 infected patients (15 HCV+) and 12 healthy donors were screened for the presence of XMRV-reactive antibodies by Western blot. Thirteen sera (57%) from HIV-1+ patients and 6 sera (50%) from healthy donors showed reactivity to XMRV-infected cell lysate. Conclusions/Significance The virtual absence of XMRV in PBMCs suggests that XMRV is not associated with HIV-1 infected or HIV-1/HCV coinfected patients, or blood donors. Although we noted isolated incidents of serum reactivity to XMRV, we are unable to verify the antibodies as XMRV specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosmina Gingaras
- Section of Retrovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Bryan P. Danielson
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
| | - Karen J. Vigil
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Elana Vey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Roberto C. Arduino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jason T. Kimata
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- * E-mail:
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J M van Kuppeveld
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, Netherlands.
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22
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Sfanos KS, Aloia AL, De Marzo AM, Rein A. XMRV and prostate cancer--a 'final' perspective. Nat Rev Urol 2012; 9:111-8. [PMID: 22231291 DOI: 10.1038/nrurol.2011.225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
XMRV was first described in 2006, when it was identified in samples isolated from prostate cancer tissues. However, studies have since shown that XMRV arose in the laboratory and was formed by genetic recombination between two viral genomes carried in the germline DNA of mice used during serial transplantation of the CWR22 prostate cancer xenograft. These new findings strongly imply that XMRV does not circulate in humans, but is only present in the laboratory. Thus, there is no reason to believe that it has any role in the etiology of prostate cancer or other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen S Sfanos
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
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23
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Matsumoto C, Igarashi M, Furuta RA, Uchida S, Satake M, Tadokoro K. Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus Proviral DNA Not Detected in Blood Samples Donated in Japan. Jpn J Infect Dis 2012; 65:334-6. [DOI: 10.7883/yoken.65.334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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24
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Prochalska C, Gressier F, Corruble E. Chronic fatigue syndrome: An update for psychiatrists. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.4236/ojpsych.2012.21007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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25
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Switzer WM, Zheng H, Simmons G, Zhou Y, Tang S, Shankar A, Kapusinszky B, Delwart EL, Heneine W. No evidence of murine leukemia virus-related viruses in live attenuated human vaccines. PLoS One 2011; 6:e29223. [PMID: 22216219 PMCID: PMC3245253 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2011] [Accepted: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association of xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV) in prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome reported in previous studies remains controversial as these results have been questioned by recent data. Nonetheless, concerns have been raised regarding contamination of human vaccines as a possible source of introduction of XMRV and MLV into human populations. To address this possibility, we tested eight live attenuated human vaccines using generic PCR for XMRV and MLV sequences. Viral metagenomics using deep sequencing was also done to identify the possibility of other adventitious agents. RESULTS All eight live attenuated vaccines, including Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) (SA-14-14-2), varicella (Varivax), measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR-II), measles (Attenuvax), rubella (Meruvax-II), rotavirus (Rotateq and Rotarix), and yellow fever virus were negative for XMRV and highly related MLV sequences. However, residual hamster DNA, but not RNA, containing novel endogenous gammaretrovirus sequences was detected in the JEV vaccine using PCR. Metagenomics analysis did not detect any adventitious viral sequences of public health concern. Intracisternal A particle sequences closest to those present in Syrian hamsters and not mice were also detected in the JEV SA-14-14-2 vaccine. Combined, these results are consistent with the production of the JEV vaccine in Syrian hamster cells. CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence of XMRV and MLV in eight live attenuated human vaccines further supporting the safety of these vaccines. Our findings suggest that vaccines are an unlikely source of XMRV and MLV exposure in humans and are consistent with the mounting evidence on the absence of these viruses in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Switzer
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
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26
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Zheng H, Jia H, Shankar A, Heneine W, Switzer WM. Detection of murine leukemia virus or mouse DNA in commercial RT-PCR reagents and human DNAs. PLoS One 2011; 6:e29050. [PMID: 22205995 PMCID: PMC3243700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/18/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related viruses (XMRV) have been reported in persons with prostate cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and less frequently in blood donors. Polytropic MLVs have also been described in persons with CFS and blood donors. However, many studies have failed to confirm these findings, raising the possibility of contamination as a source of the positive results. One PCR reagent, Platinum Taq polymerase (pol) has been reported to contain mouse DNA that produces false-positive MLV PCR results. We report here the finding of a large number of PCR reagents that have low levels of MLV sequences. We found that recombinant reverse-transcriptase (RT) enzymes from six companies derived from either MLV or avian myeloblastosis virus contained MLV pol DNA sequences but not gag or mouse DNA sequences. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed high relatedness to Moloney MLV, suggesting residual contamination with an RT-containing plasmid. In addition, we identified contamination with mouse DNA and a variety of MLV sequences in commercially available human DNAs from leukocytes, brain tissues, and cell lines. These results identify new sources of MLV contamination and highlight the importance of careful pre-screening of commercial specimens and diagnostic reagents to avoid false-positive MLV PCR results.
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Affiliation(s)
- HaoQiang Zheng
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Hongwei Jia
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Anupama Shankar
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Walid Heneine
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - William M. Switzer
- Laboratory Branch, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Prevalence of XMRV nucleic acid and antibody in HIV-1-Infected men and in men at risk for HIV-1 Infection. Adv Virol 2011; 2011:268214. [PMID: 22282703 PMCID: PMC3265298 DOI: 10.1155/2011/268214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Revised: 08/08/2011] [Accepted: 08/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Xenotropic MLV-Related Virus (XMRV) was recently reported to be associated with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Infection was also reported in 3.7% of healthy individuals. These highly reported frequencies of infection prompted concerns about the possibility of a new, widespread retroviral epidemic. The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS) provides an opportunity to assess the prevalence of XMRV infection and its association with HIV-1 infection among men who have sex with men. Reliable detection of XMRV infection requires the application of multiple diagnostic methods, including detection of human antibodies to XMRV and detection of XMRV nucleic acid. We, therefore, tested 332 patient plasma and PBMC samples obtained from recent visits in a subset of patients in the MACS cohort for XMRV antibodies using Abbott prototype ARCHITECT chemiluminescent immunoassays (CMIAs) and for XMRV RNA and proviral DNA using a XMRV single-copy qPCR assay (X-SCA). Although 9 of 332 (2.7%) samples showed low positive reactivity against a single antigen in the CMIA, none of these samples or matched controls were positive for plasma XMRV RNA or PBMC XMRV DNA by X-SCA. Thus, we found no evidence of XMRV infection among men in the MACS regardless of HIV-1 serostatus.
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In vitro assembly of virus-like particles of a gammaretrovirus, the murine leukemia virus XMRV. J Virol 2011; 86:1297-306. [PMID: 22090120 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.05564-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Immature retroviral particles are assembled by self-association of the structural polyprotein precursor Gag. During maturation the Gag polyprotein is proteolytically cleaved, yielding mature structural proteins, matrix (MA), capsid (CA), and nucleocapsid (NC), that reassemble into a mature viral particle. Proteolytic cleavage causes the N terminus of CA to fold back to form a β-hairpin, anchored by an internal salt bridge between the N-terminal proline and the inner aspartate. Using an in vitro assembly system of capsid-nucleocapsid protein (CANC), we studied the formation of virus-like particles (VLP) of a gammaretrovirus, the xenotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related virus (XMRV). We show here that, unlike other retroviruses, XMRV CA and CANC do not assemble tubular particles characteristic of mature assembly. The prevention of β-hairpin formation by the deletion of either the N-terminal proline or 10 initial amino acids enabled the assembly of ΔProCANC or Δ10CANC into immature-like spherical particles. Detailed three-dimensional (3D) structural analysis of these particles revealed that below a disordered N-terminal CA layer, the C terminus of CA assembles a typical immature lattice, which is linked by rod-like densities with the RNP.
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Bacich DJ, Sobek KM, Cummings JL, Atwood AA, O'Keefe DS. False negative results from using common PCR reagents. BMC Res Notes 2011; 4:457. [PMID: 22032271 PMCID: PMC3219698 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-4-457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 10/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The sensitivity of the PCR reaction makes it ideal for use when identifying potentially novel viral infections in human disease. Unfortunately, this same sensitivity also leaves this popular technique open to potential contamination with previously amplified PCR products, or "carry-over" contamination. PCR product carry-over contamination can be prevented with uracil-DNA-glycosylase (UNG), and it is for this reason that it is commonly included in many commercial PCR master-mixes. While testing the sensitivity of PCR assays to detect murine DNA contamination in human tissue samples, we inadvertently discovered that the use of this common PCR reagent may lead to the production of false-negative PCR results. Findings We show here that contamination with minute quantities of UNG-digested PCR product or any negative control PCR reactions containing primer-dimers regardless of UNG presence can completely block amplification from as much as 60 ng of legitimate target DNA. Conclusions These findings could potentially explain discrepant results from laboratories attempting to amplify MLV-related viruses including XMRV from human samples, as none of the published reports used internal-tube controls for amplification. The potential for false negative results needs to be considered and carefully controlled in PCR experiments, especially when the target copy number may be low - just as the potential for false positive results already is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean J Bacich
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh, 5200 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA.
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Qiu X, Swanson P, Tang N, Leckie GW, Devare SG, Schochetman G, Hackett J. Seroprevalence of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus in normal and retrovirus-infected blood donors. Transfusion 2011; 52:307-16. [PMID: 22023235 DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2011.03395.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been reported in patients with prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome. Although results have been conflicting, the potential of XMRV as an infectious human retrovirus has raised concerns about transfusion safety. To address this issue, normal and retrovirus-infected blood donors were screened for evidence of XMRV infection. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Plasma from 1000 US, 100 human immunodeficiency virus Type 1-infected Cameroonian, and 642 human T-lymphotropic virus Type I (HTLV-I)-infected or uninfected Japanese blood donors as well as 311 sexually transmitted disease diagnostic specimens were screened for antibodies to XMRV gp70 and p15E using chemiluminescent immunoassays (CMIAs). CMIA-reactive samples were evaluated by p30 CMIA, Western blot, and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS XMRV seroreactivity was low (0%-0.6%) with the exception of the HTLV-I-infected donors (4.9%). Antibody was detected against only a single XMRV protein (p15E or gp70); none of the seroreactive samples had detectable XMRV pol or env sequences. The elevated seroreactivity in HTLV-I-infected donors was due to an increased p15E seroreactive rate (4.1%). Inspection of XMRV and HTLV sequences revealed a high level of conservation within the immunodominant region (IDR) of the transmembrane protein. In some cases, HTLV IDR peptide competitively reduced the XMRV p15E signal. CONCLUSIONS Based on the low prevalence of seroreactivity, detection of antibody to only a single XMRV protein and the absence of XMRV sequences, this study finds no compelling evidence of XMRV in normal or retrovirus-infected blood donors. The increased p15E seroreactivity observed in HTLV infection is likely due to cross-reactive antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxing Qiu
- Infectious Diseases R&D, Abbott Diagnostics, Abbott Park, Illinois 60064, USA.
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Stieler K, Schindler S, Schlomm T, Hohn O, Bannert N, Simon R, Minner S, Schindler M, Fischer N. No detection of XMRV in blood samples and tissue sections from prostate cancer patients in Northern Europe. PLoS One 2011; 6:e25592. [PMID: 22022417 PMCID: PMC3192048 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2011] [Accepted: 09/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We recently published the rare detection of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) (1/105) in prostate cancer (PCA) tissue of patients in Northern Europe by PCR. The controversial discussion about the virus being detected in PCA tissue, blood samples from patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), as well as from a significant number of healthy controls prompted us to deepen our studies about detection of XMRV infection applying different detection methods (PCR, cocultivation and immunohistochemistry [IHC]). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 92 PCA and 7 healthy controls were isolated, PHA activated and cocultivated with LNCaP cells for up to 8 weeks. Supernatant of these cells was applied to a reporter cell line, DERSE-iGFP. Furthermore, the PBMCs and cocultivated LNCaP cells were tested for the presence of XMRV by PCR as well as Western Blot analysis. While all PCR amplifications and Western Blot analyses were negative for signs of XMRV infection, DERSE-iGFP cells displayed isolated GFP positive cells in three cases. In all three cases XMRV presence could not be confirmed by PCR technology. In addition, we performed XMRV specific IHC on PCA tissue sections. Whole tissue sections (n = 20), as well as tissue microarrays (TMA) including 50 benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), 50 low grade and 50 high grade PCA sections and TMAs including breast cancer, colon cancer and normal tissues were stained with two XMRV specific antisera. XMRV protein expression was not detected in any cancer sections included. One BPH tissue displayed XMRV specific protein expression in random isolated basal cells. CONCLUSION We were unable to conclusively detect XMRV in the blood from PCA patients or from healthy controls and there is no conclusive evidence of XMRV protein expression in PCA, breast cancer and colon cancer tissue sections tested by IHC staining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Stieler
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Schindler
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Heinrich-Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Schlomm
- Martini-Clinic, Prostate Cancer Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Hohn
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for HIV and Retrovirology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Norbert Bannert
- Robert Koch Institute, Center for HIV and Retrovirology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ronald Simon
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Minner
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michael Schindler
- Heinrich-Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Fischer
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Williams DK, Galvin TA, Ma H, Khan AS. Investigation of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in human and other cell lines. Biologicals 2011; 39:378-83. [PMID: 21996050 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2011.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2011] [Revised: 08/17/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was discovered in human prostate tumors and later in some chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients. However, subsequent studies have identified various sources of potential contamination with XMRV and other murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related sequences in test samples. Biological and nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that XMRV is distinct from known xenotropic MLVs and has a broad host range and cell tropism including human cells. Therefore, it is prudent to minimize the risk of human exposure to infection by evaluating XMRV contamination in cell lines handled in laboratory research and particularly those used in the manufacture of biological products. Nested DNA PCR assays were optimized for investigating XMRV gag and env sequences in various cell lines, which included MRC-5, Vero, HEK-293, MDCK, HeLa, and A549, that may be used in the development of some vaccines and other cell lines broadly used in research. The sensitivity of the DNA PCR assays was <10 copies in approximately 1.8 x 10(5) cells equivalent of human DNA. The results indicated the absence of XMRV in the cell lines tested; although in some cases DNA fragments identified as cellular sequences were seen following the first round of PCR amplification with the env primer pair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhanya K Williams
- Laboratory of Retroviruses, Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 8800 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Ali MA, Dale JK, Kozak CA, Goldbach-Mansky R, Miller FW, Straus SE, Cohen JI. Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus is not associated with chronic fatigue syndrome in patients from different areas of the us in the 1990s. Virol J 2011; 8:450. [PMID: 21943244 PMCID: PMC3210120 DOI: 10.1186/1743-422x-8-450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2011] [Accepted: 09/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2009, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) was reported in 67% of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) compared to 4% of controls. Since then numerous reports failed to detect XMRV in other cohorts of CFS patients, and some studies suggested that XMRV sequences in human samples might be due to contamination of these samples with mouse DNA. RESULTS We determined the prevalence of XMRV in patients with CFS from similar areas in the United States as the original 2009 study, along with patients with chronic inflammatory disorders and healthy persons. Using quantitative PCR, we initially detected very low level signals for XMRV DNA in 15% of patients with CFS; however, the frequency of PCR positivity was no different between patients with CFS and controls. Repeated attempts to isolate PCR products from these reactions were unsuccessful. These findings were supported by our observations that PHA and IL-2 stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with apparently low levels of XMRV, which induced virus replication in the 2009 report, resulted in the disappearance of the signal for XMRV DNA in the cells. Immunoprecipitation of XMRV-infected cell lysates using serum from patients from whom we initially detected low levels of XMRV DNA followed by immunoblotting with antibodies to XMRV gp70 protein failed to detect antibody in the patients, although one control had a weak level of reactivity. Diverse murine leukemia virus (MLV) sequences were obtained by nested PCR with a similar frequency in CFS patients and controls. Finally, we did not detect XMRV sequences in patients with several chronic inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, Bechet's disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus. CONCLUSIONS We found no definitive evidence for XMRV DNA sequences or antibody in our cohort of CFS patients, which like the original 2009 study, included patients from diverse regions of the United States. In addition, XMRV was not detected in a cohort of patients with chronic inflammatory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mir A Ali
- Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Janet K Dale
- Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Current Address: Clinical Research Program, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine A Kozak
- Viral Biology Section, Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky
- Translational Autoinflammatory Disease Section, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Frederick W Miller
- Environmental Autoimmunity Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephen E Straus
- Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeffrey I Cohen
- Medical Virology Section, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Cool M, Bouchard N, Massé G, Laganière B, Dumont A, Hanna Z, Phaneuf D, Morisset R, Jolicoeur P. No detectable XMRV in subjects with chronic fatigue syndrome from Quebec. Virology 2011; 420:66-72. [PMID: 21925693 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2011.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Revised: 08/24/2011] [Accepted: 08/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the presence of XMRV in a cohort of Quebec patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). DNA was purified from activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and PCR was used to detect XMRV gag and env in 72 patients. Anti-XMRV antibodies were searched in sera of 62 patients by Western blot analysis. Attempts to detect XMRV antigens was made, using immunofluorescence with Gag anti-p30 antiserum on activated PBMC from 50 patients. Plasma viremia was measured by RT-PCR on 9 subjects. Finally, detection of infectious virus in 113 CFS subjects was made by co-culture of PHA+IL-2 activated PBMC with human LNCaP carcinoma cells, and by infecting the same susceptible cells with plasma, using a reverse transcriptase (RT) assay as a readout in both experiments. No detection of XMRV footprints nor infectious virus was detected with any of the approaches, in any of the tested individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Cool
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2W 1R7
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Akgül B, Pfister D, Knüchel R, Heidenreich A, Wieland U, Pfister H. No evidence for a role of xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus and BK virus in prostate cancer of German patients. Med Microbiol Immunol 2011; 201:245-8. [PMID: 21898167 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-011-0215-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in men. Controversial data exist concerning the role of BKPyV and the xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related gammaretrovirus (XMRV) in prostate cancer development. We therefore assessed the association between prostate cancer and viral infections. We could detect BKPyV in only 1 out of 85 prostate cancer samples, whereas none of the tissue samples showed evidence for XMRV positivity. Lack of detection of BKPyV and XMRV in prostate cancer tissues suggests that these viruses do not play a role in the pathogenesis of this type of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baki Akgül
- Institute of Virology, National Reference Center for Papillomaviruses and Polyomaviruses, University of Cologne, Fürst-Pückler-Str. 56, 50935, Cologne, Germany
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Phylogeny-directed search for murine leukemia virus-like retroviruses in vertebrate genomes and in patients suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and prostate cancer. Adv Virol 2011; 2011:341294. [PMID: 22315600 PMCID: PMC3265301 DOI: 10.1155/2011/341294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2011] [Revised: 06/11/2011] [Accepted: 06/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Gammaretrovirus-like sequences occur in most vertebrate genomes. Murine Leukemia Virus (MLV) like retroviruses (MLLVs) are a subset, which may be pathogenic and spread cross-species. Retroviruses highly similar to MLLVs (xenotropic murine retrovirus related virus (XMRV) and Human Mouse retrovirus-like RetroViruses (HMRVs)) reported from patients suffering from prostate cancer (PC) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) raise the possibility that also humans have been infected. Structurally intact, potentially infectious MLLVs occur in the genomes of some mammals, especially mouse. Mouse MLLVs contain three major groups. One, MERV G3, contained MLVs and XMRV/HMRV. Its presence in mouse DNA, and the abundance of xenotropic MLVs in biologicals, is a source of false positivity. Theoretically, XMRV/HMRV could be one of several MLLV transspecies infections. MLLV pathobiology and diversity indicate optimal strategies for investigating XMRV/HMRV in humans and raise ethical concerns. The alternatives that XMRV/HMRV may give a hard-to-detect “stealth” infection, or that XMRV/HMRV never reached humans, have to be considered.
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Failure to Detect XMRV-Specific Antibodies in the Plasma of CFS Patients Using Highly Sensitive Chemiluminescence Immunoassays. Adv Virol 2011; 2011:854540. [PMID: 22312356 PMCID: PMC3265317 DOI: 10.1155/2011/854540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2009, Lombardi et al. reported their startling finding that the gammaretrovirus xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus (XMRV) is present in 67% of blood samples of patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), as opposed to only 3.7% of samples from healthy individuals. However, we and others could not confirm these results, using a nested PCR assay. An alternative to this highly sensitive, but contamination-prone, technique is to measure the serological response to XMRV. Thus, we tested the plasma samples from our cohorts of CFS patients and healthy controls for the presence of XMRV-specific antibodies. Using two novel chemiluminescence immunoassays (CMIAs), we show that none of our samples have any XMRV-reactive antibodies. Taken together with our previous findings, we conclude that XMRV is not present in any human individual tested by us, regardless of CFS or healthy control.
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Origin of XMRV and its demise as a human pathogen associated with chronic fatigue syndrome. Viruses 2011; 3:1312-9. [PMID: 21994780 PMCID: PMC3185801 DOI: 10.3390/v3081312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2011] [Revised: 07/04/2011] [Accepted: 07/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Retroviruses are well known pathogens of mammals, birds and fish. Their potential to induce cancer in chickens was already described almost 100 years ago and murine retroviruses have been a subject of study for 50 years. The first human retroviruses, HTLV and HIV, were discovered more than 30 years ago, surprising researchers and physicians by the profound differences in the diseases they cause. HTLV-1 is able to induce, after decades of infection, lymphomas/leukemia or neuroimmune disorders whereas untreated HIV infection leads almost inevitably to AIDS. The recently described XMRV (xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) appeared to possess many of the features known for HTLV and was regarded by some to be the third human retrovirus. However, recent publications by Knox et al. [1] and Paprotka et al. [2] have shed new light on this gammaretrovirus. Knox and colleagues clearly demonstrate that XMRV is absent in patients belonging to a chronic fatigue syndrome cohort who had previously been reported to be XMRV-positive [3]. This supports the growing suspicion that laboratory contamination was responsible for the postulated link between XMRV and the disease. Furthermore, Paprotka et al’s identification of XMRV’s origin and the phylogenetic analysis of known XMRV sequences are further nails in the coffin to the notion that XMRV is a clinically relevant infectious human retrovirus.
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