The 2009 study in the journal Science showed that 67 percent of chronic fatigue patients carried a retrovirus called XMRV, compared with less than 4 percent of healthy controls, strong evidence the virus might cause the illness. But that conclusion was shot down yesterday by Bruce Alberts, editor in chief of the journal.
“The validity of the study is now seriously in question,’’ he wrote in a statement posted online with the original paper. He pointed out that at least 10 studies conducted by other researchers and published elsewhere had failed to detect the virus in other populations of chronic fatigue patients.
In addition, new research published by Science yesterday found no evidence of the retrovirus in chronic fatigue patients who were previously identified as being infected. A second paper determined the probable explanation for the original faulty research: The patients’ blood samples were probably contaminated with mouse cells containing a virus nearly identical to XMRV.
“I think the door is nearly closed on this issue,’’ said John Coffin, a retrovirologist at Tufts University School of Medicine who coauthored the second paper. “But there are still some ongoing studies to make absolutely sure that XMRV isn’t involved with chronic fatigue. We need to do a full set of due diligence on this.’’
Solomon said she was told her blood contained XMRV when she participated in a research trial last year, not related to the 2009 study. Although she didn’t opt to go on antiretroviral drugs — used to treat HIV and known to cause hair loss, nausea, and other harsh side effects — she said she does have a handful of friends with chronic fatigue who’ve tried them. “Some are doing really well, and some of them are not,’’ she said.
