Zheng, HaoQiang, Jia, Hongwei, Shankar, Anupama et al. · PloS one · 2011 · DOI
Scientists tested commercial laboratory reagents and DNA samples commonly used in medical research and found that many contained mouse virus sequences (MLV). These contaminations appear to come from the manufacturing process and could produce false-positive test results if not properly identified. This discovery is important because earlier ME/CFS studies reporting MLV detection may have been affected by these contaminated supplies rather than finding a real virus in patients.
This study provides crucial methodological context for interpreting previous ME/CFS studies that reported XMRV detection, many of which showed conflicting results. By identifying widespread contamination in commercial reagents and DNA samples, it offers a plausible explanation for some positive findings and emphasizes the importance of rigorous quality control in viral detection research, directly affecting how earlier ME/CFS studies should be evaluated.
This study does not prove that all previous XMRV findings in ME/CFS patients were false positives, nor does it definitively establish whether XMRV is or is not associated with ME/CFS. It identifies one potential source of contamination but cannot retrospectively determine which specific prior studies were affected by contaminated reagents.
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
Zheng, HaoQiang, Jia, Hongwei, Shankar, Anupama, Heneine, Walid, & Switzer, William M (2011). Detection of murine leukemia virus or mouse DNA in commercial RT-PCR reagents and human DNAs.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0029050
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-zheng-2011-detection-murine,
author = {Zheng, HaoQiang and Jia, Hongwei and Shankar, Anupama and Heneine, Walid and Switzer, William M},
title = {Detection of murine leukemia virus or mouse DNA in commercial RT-PCR reagents and human DNAs.},
journal = {PloS one},
year = {2011},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0029050},
note = {PubMed: 22205995},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/zheng-2011-detection-murine},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/zheng-2011-detection-murine
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