Premium
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus does not pose a risk to blood recipient safety
Author(s) -
Dodd Roger Y.,
Hackett Jr John,
Linnen Jeffrey M.,
Dorsey Kerri,
Wu Yanyun,
Zou Shimian,
Qiu Xiaoxing,
Swanson Priscilla,
Schochetman Gerald,
Gao Kui,
Carrick James M.,
Krysztof David E.,
Stramer Susan L.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2011.03450.x
Subject(s) - virus , virology , medicine , antibody , leukemia , population , immunology , blood transfusion , environmental health
BACKGROUND: When xenotropic murine leukemia virus–related virus (XMRV) was first reported in association with chronic fatigue syndrome, it was suggested that it might offer a risk to blood safety. Thus, the prevalence of the virus among blood donors and, if present, its transmissibility by transfusion need to be defined. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Two populations of routine blood donor samples (1435 and 13,399) were obtained for prevalence evaluations; samples from a linked donor‐recipient repository were also evaluated. Samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to XMRV‐related recombinant antigens and/or for XMRV RNA, using validated, high‐throughput systems. RESULTS: The presence of antibodies to XMRV could not be confirmed among a total of 17,249 blood donors or recipients (0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0%‐0.017%); 1763 tested samples were nonreactive for XMRV RNA (0%; 95% CI, 0%‐0.17%). Evidence of infection was absent from 109 recipients and 830 evaluable blood samples tested after transfusion of a total of 3741 blood components. CONCLUSIONS: XMRV and related murine leukemia virus (MLV) markers are not present among a large population of blood donors and evidence of transfusion transmission could not be detected. Thus, these viruses do not currently pose a threat to blood recipient safety and further actions relating to XMRV and MLV are not justified.