Since the discovery of xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) in 2006, one of the most controversial topics is whether it contributes to the pathogenesis of prostate cancer (PCa) and/or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The debate began with the failure to detect XMRV in clinical PCa samples. Concerns about the potential health risk of XMRV exposure were reinforced by a study demonstrating the presence of XMRV in patients with CFS. However, serious concerns on whether XMRV plays a role in the development of PCa and/or CFS have been raised. However, inconsistent reports linking XMRV with PCa and/or CFS have led to conflicting views about the potential of XMRV as a human pathogen. Several recent studies suggest that contamination could account for the positive correlations between XMRV and PCa and/or CFS to date. At present, evidence does not indicate that XMRV plays any role in the pathogenesis of PCa or CFS.
Written by:
Hong P, Li J Are you the author?
National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital of the Ministry of Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Reference: Virus Res. 2012 Jul;167(1):1-7
doi: 10.1016/j.virusres.2012.04.004
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22531412