Several studies have been published in recent months in which scientists were unable to find XMRV in patients diagnosed with ME/CFS. Authors of these studies and others have claimed that these results discredit the seminal XMRV study by Lombardi/Mikovits of the Whittemore Peterson Institute and contend that Mikovits' results must have been due to laboratory contamination.
As a result of these studies, Science magazine published an Editorial Expression of Concern, which casts doubt on the Lombardi/Mikovits XMRV study which Science themselves published in October 2009. Here are responses from the WPI:
Dr. Judy Mikovits
Annette Whittemore
WPI Clinical Advisory Board
Below is a comparison of the parameters, tests, and methodologies used in the failed studies, the Lombardi/Mikovits study and the Alter/Lo study, which found an association between ME/CFS and MLV's (Murine Leukemia Viruses).
A Comparison of Methods for the Detection and Association of XMRV in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
None of the failed studies came anywhere close to replicating the work of Lombardi/Mikovits and Alter/Lo. Saying these studies disprove anything is like saying that just because my paper airplane can't fly across the street, humans can't possibly have made it into space.
Bogus "research" and careless, sloppy reporting like this does no one any good.
Thanks to Dr. Jamie Deckoff-Jones for posting this comparison. Her blog post has the individual pages of this comparison in case you don't have a PDF reader.
True replication works
To put the failed XMRV studies into perspective, Dr. Deckoff-Jones reports on an incident in which a group in Munich failed to find XMRV. (Search the page for Munich.)
This group then contacted Dr. Mikovits and worked with her on their next attempt, and lo and behold, they found XMRV!
Antiretrovirals are working
Incidentally, Dr. Deckoff, who was disabled by ME/CFS for many years, has returned to work and is now practicing medicine in Hawaii. She and her daughter Ali tested positive for XMRV and have been using antiretrovirals, including raltegravir, tenofovir, and AZT, for eighteen months. Although Ali has seen some improvement, she is still quite ill.
On the other hand, Dr. Deckoff's response to the antiretrovirals has been remarkable. See her blog post:
Once more unto the breach, dear friends
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I don't know why people does not take this disease seriously. Chronic Fatigue Symptoms is really needs some care.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is really serving good information. Dr. Deckoff and her daughter doing nice job for the people who are suffering from ME/CFS.