Shin, Clifford H, Bateman, Lucinda, Schlaberg, Robert et al. · Journal of virology · 2011 · DOI
This study investigated whether a virus called XMRV or related viruses might cause ME/CFS by testing blood samples from 100 ME/CFS patients and 200 healthy volunteers. The researchers used multiple methods to look for the virus itself, genetic material, and antibodies to the virus. They found no evidence of these viruses in any of the patient samples, suggesting they are not responsible for ME/CFS.
This study is important because an earlier report linked XMRV to ME/CFS and led some patients to use antiretroviral drugs off-label. This rigorous analysis provides evidence against that viral association and cautions against unproven treatments, helping patients make informed decisions about their care and redirecting research toward more promising etiologic pathways.
This study does not prove that no retrovirus is involved in ME/CFS—only that XMRV and closely related murine leukemia viruses are not detectable using these methods. It also does not rule out other potential viral or environmental triggers. A negative association in one study does not exclude the possibility that these viruses play a role in a subset of patients or that other methodologies might detect them.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Shin, Clifford H, Bateman, Lucinda, Schlaberg, Robert, Bunker, Ashley M, Leonard, Christopher J, Hughen, Ronald W, et al. (2011). Absence of XMRV retrovirus and other murine leukemia virus-related viruses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of virology. https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00693-11
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-shin-2011-absence-xmrv,
author = {Shin, Clifford H and Bateman, Lucinda and Schlaberg, Robert and Bunker, Ashley M and Leonard, Christopher J and Hughen, Ronald W and Light, Alan R and Light, Kathleen C and Singh, Ila R},
title = {Absence of XMRV retrovirus and other murine leukemia virus-related viruses in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of virology},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1128/JVI.00693-11},
note = {PubMed: 21543496},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/shin-2011-absence-xmrv},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/shin-2011-absence-xmrv
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