XMRV and Testing

Discovered in 2009, XMRV is a retrovirus. These viruses carry their genetic information in RNA rather than DNA, and they insert themselves into their hosts’ genetic material, to stay for life.

The other two known human retroviruses include the HIV virus which causes AIDS and the Human T Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV). XMRV is thus the third known human retrovirus. Expression of a retrovirus like XMRV might also cause an immune deficiency similar to what’s seen in HIV/AIDS, rendering the immune system incapable of controlling other infections like Lyme disease, EBV (Mono), HHV-6, or CMV.

Chronic Fatigue and Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFIDS), which causes prolonged and severe fatigue, body aches, and other symptoms, has long been a mystery ailment, and patients have sometimes been suspected of malingering or having psychiatric problems rather than genuine physical ones. Worldwide, 17 million people have the syndrome, including at least one million Americans.
In 2009, an article published in the journal Science reported that 68 of 101 CFIDS patients, or 67 percent, were infected with xenotropic murine-leukemia related virus, or XMRV. By contrast, only 3.7 percent of 218 healthy people were infected.

After the paper was published, continuing work has found the virus in nearly 98 percent of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and only 3 percent in the general healthy population. XMRV has also been found in prostates with cancer and in a higher incidence in autistic persons.

While XMRV has not been proven to be causative of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (it could be a “tag-a-long” with another infective organism), there are other indications that viruses are indeed an active part of CFIDS. In following the hypothesized connection between viruses and CFIDS, a small 6-month trial was performed using the anti-viral medication Valcyte (valgancyclovir), in which 75% of patients experienced significant benefit, dramatic in some cases.

Testing for XMRV is now available through Viral Immune Pathology Diagnostics, or “VIP Dx”. Patients can access their website at www.vipdx.com and click on their link to order XMRV test kits. It is recommended that you perform both the PCR/culture and the serology test, as doing both decreases the likelihood of false negatives. Deposit for the kit is $65.00 and full cost of testing is $549.00.

You will need to schedule a morning blood draw for the testing. AIM’s nurses can fill out the physician information and the diagnosis codes for potential insurance reimbursement. Make sure to bring your kit with your part of the paperwork filled out and your check included. The specimen must be shipped priority overnight to arrive within 24 hours of your blood draw.

Results can take up to 12 weeks to completely process. This includes the 4-6 weeks needed to grow the culture.