WPI gene expression analysis identifies 'inflammatory signature' in XMRV-positive CFS patients

Article Title
Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related Virus-associated Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Reveals a Distinct Inflammatory Signature – Source: In Vivo, 25:307-314, 2011

By Vincent C Lombardi, Judith A Mikovits, et al.

[Note: The full text pdf of this forthcoming article by Whittemore-Peterson/U of Nevada researchers is freely accessible online at www.megaupload.com/?d=V980UCHY - with many thanks to Help ME Circle editor Jan van Roijen, who placed the study on MegaUpload for the benefit of the worldwide ME/CFS community. If you are not a member of this web hosting service, you will need to wait about 40 seconds to download using a ‘regular download’ button.]

Abstract

Background: The recent identification of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in the blood of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) establishes that a retrovirus may play a role in the pathology in this disease.

Knowledge of the immune response might lead to a better understanding of the role XMRV plays in this syndrome. Our objective was to investigate the cytokine and chemokine response in XMRV-associated CFS.

Materials and Methods: Using Luminex multi-analyte profiling technology, we measured cytokine and chemokine values in the plasma of XMRV-infected CFS patients and compared these data to those of healthy controls. Analysis was performed using the Gene Expression Pattern Analysis Suite and the Random Forest tree classification algorithm.

Results: This study identifies a signature of 10 cytokines and chemokines which correctly identifies XMRV/CFS patients with 93% specificity and 96% sensitivity.

Conclusion: These data show, for the first time, an immunological pattern associated with XMRV/CFS.

Source: In Vivo, 25;307-314 (2011). Lombardi VC, Hagen KS, Hunter KW, Diamond JW, Smith-Gagen J, Yang W, Mikovits JA. Whittemore Peterson Institute, University of Nevada; Triad Medical Center; Nevada Center for Health Statistics and Informatics, University of Nevada; University of Nevada Reno, Department of Microbiology and Immunology Applied Research Facility, Reno, Nevada, USA. [Email Dr. Vincent C Lombardi, WPI, U of Nevada – vclombardi@gmail.com]