Lack of Infection with XMRV or Other MLV-related Viruses in Blood, Post-mortem Brains and Paternal Gametes of Autistic Individuals

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2011 Mar 5

PMID 21373179

Citations 11

Authors

Carla Lintas

Francesco Guidi

Barbara Manzi

Antonio Mancini

Paolo Curatolo

Antonio M Persico

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired language, communication and social skills, as well as by repetitive and stereotypic patterns of behavior. Many autistic subjects display a dysregulation of the immune system which is compatible with an unresolved viral infection with prenatal onset, potentially due to vertical viral transmission. Recently, the xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and in prostate cancer by several, though not all studies.

Methodology/principal Findings: We assessed whether XMRV or other murine leukemia virus (MLV)-related viruses are involved in autistic disorder. Using nested PCR targeted to gag genomic sequences, we screened DNA samples from: (i) peripheral blood of 102 ASD patients and 97 controls, (ii) post-mortem brain samples of 20 ASD patients and 17 sex- and age-matched controls, (iii) semen samples of 11 fathers of ASD children, 25 infertile individuals and 7 fertile controls. No XMRV gag DNA sequences were detected, whereas peripheral blood samples of 3/97 (3.1%) controls were positive for MLV. CONCLUSIONS|

Significance: No MLV-related virus was detected in blood, brain, and semen samples of ASD patients or fathers. Hence infection with XMRV or other MLV-related viruses is unlikely to contribute to autism pathogenesis.

Citing Articles

Infections in children with autism spectrum disorder: Study to Explore Early Development (SEED).

Sabourin K, Reynolds A, Schendel D, Rosenberg S, Croen L, Pinto-Martin J Autism Res. 2018; 12(1):136-146.

PMID: 30475448 PMC: 7197040. DOI: 10.1002/aur.2012.

No Evidence of Antibodies against GAD65 and Other Specific Antigens in Children with Autism.

Kalra S, Burbelo P, Bayat A, Ching K, Thurm A, Iadarola M BBA Clin. 2015; 4:81-84.

PMID: 26366376 PMC: 4564997. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbacli.2015.08.001.

Utilization of replication-competent XMRV reporter-viruses reveals severe viral restriction in primary human cells.

Sturzel C, Palesch D, Khalid M, Wissing S, Fischer N, Munch J PLoS One. 2013; 8(9):e74427.

PMID: 24058563 PMC: 3772927. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074427.

Infection of Xenotransplanted Human Cell Lines by Murine Retroviruses: A Lesson Brought Back to Light by XMRV.

Hempel H, Burns K, De Marzo A, Sfanos K Front Oncol. 2013; 3:156.

PMID: 23785669 PMC: 3683812. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2013.00156.

Recombinant origin, contamination, and de-discovery of XMRV.

Delviks-Frankenberry K, Cingoz O, Coffin J, Pathak V Curr Opin Virol. 2012; 2(4):499-507.

PMID: 22818188 PMC: 3426297. DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2012.06.009.

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