van Kuppeveld, Frank J M, de Jong, Arjan S, Lanke, Kjerstin H et al. · BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2010 · DOI
Researchers in the Netherlands tested whether a virus called XMRV, which had been reported in ME/CFS patients in other studies, was present in blood samples from Dutch ME/CFS patients. Using sensitive laboratory tests, they found no trace of this virus in any of the patients or healthy control participants. This challenges earlier claims that XMRV might be connected to ME/CFS.
This independent replication study from a European cohort was crucial for evaluating whether XMRV—initially reported as a potential ME/CFS biomarker—could be confirmed in different populations. Negative findings from well-controlled studies help redirect research efforts toward more promising biological hypotheses and prevent patients from pursuing unproven treatments based on unverified viral claims.
This study does not prove that no virus is involved in ME/CFS pathogenesis, only that XMRV specifically was not detected in this Dutch cohort. It does not rule out other potential viral triggers or cofactors in ME/CFS. The study also cannot determine whether XMRV absence reflects true non-association or differences in viral persistence, tissue tropism, or detection timing across populations.
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
van Kuppeveld, Frank J M, de Jong, Arjan S, Lanke, Kjerstin H, Verhaegh, Gerald W, Melchers, Willem J G, Swanink, Caroline M A, et al. (2010). Prevalence of xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome in the Netherlands: retrospective analysis of samples from an established cohort.. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c1018
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-van-kuppeveld-2010-prevalence-xenotropic,
author = {van Kuppeveld, Frank J M and de Jong, Arjan S and Lanke, Kjerstin H and Verhaegh, Gerald W and Melchers, Willem J G and Swanink, Caroline M A and Bleijenberg, Gijs and Netea, Mihai G and Galama, Jochem M D and van der Meer, Jos W M},
title = {Prevalence of xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome in the Netherlands: retrospective analysis of samples from an established cohort.},
journal = {BMJ (Clinical research ed.)},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1136/bmj.c1018},
note = {PubMed: 20185493},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/van-kuppeveld-2010-prevalence-xenotropic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/van-kuppeveld-2010-prevalence-xenotropic
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