A new study found abnormalities in the white blood cells of kids with ME/CFS, suggesting they've been fighting off infection.
Professor Jill Belch, an expert in vascular medicine at Ninewells hospital in Dundee who led the latest research project, said: "What we've found are blood changes that suggest chronic inflammation.Meanwhile, the Whittemore Peterson Institute and Cerus Corporation presented data today at the 1st International Workshop on XMRV demonstrating the efficacy of Cerus's INTERCEPT Blood System. This is good news for the blood supply—the INTERCEPT Blood System inactivates MLV-related viruses in donated blood.
"This is important because it's showing an abnormality that we might be able to devise a treatment for, but it's also important because some people do suggest that ME is a disease of the mind and here we are showing that it is a disease of the body."
Speaking of the 1st International Workshop on XMRV ... Day two, Wednesday, September 8, is apparently when they focus on ME/CFS. You can watch the event live, starting at 5:15 p.m. EST.
2 comments:
The research in Scotland released yesterday was indeed excellent news supporting the evidence that indeed ME is actually a physical illness.
One would hope that further studies will be done to asses if this patient group tested positive for XMRV or MLV following WPI procedures.
However IO would hope that they also test these children to see if they could have a Borrelia infection something which is a growing problem here in the UK. Sadly current tests can miss upto 50% of cases.
The Scotish study in children with ME only shows evidence of an ongoing infection this could be viral or bacterial as stated by Proff Jill Belch it is too soon to assume it is viral both must be considered carefully.
Already many of the doctors in ME/CFS and Lyme recognise that some cases are Lyme and also some Lyme patients do test positive for XMRV.
Either way this research knocks the Psycobabble for six.
The more they know, the more they'll be able to differentially diagnose. A lot of people with ME are diagnosed with nothing at all. A lot of people with different chronic illnesses are misdiagnosed with ME.
Thing is, many previous studies have turned up these sorts of positive results. The media just didn't report on them most of the time. XMRV/MLV and Kerr's subtypes were notable exceptions, but I suspect journalists find genetics and retroviruses sexier. That a story about more mundane abnormalities ... just perhaps ... reflects the changing tides.
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