Q&A with J Mikovitz on XMRV + autism relevance

[Guest guest]

Q: In families with more than one CFS (or other chronic illness), is there any indication that XMRV was transmitted to immediate family members? Prof. Garth Nicolson The Institute for Molecular Medicine

A: YES…lots of them and I have not looked at everyone but my knowledge of the 101 in the Science paper is that more than 2/3 of them have family member who are infected and MOST are ill perhaps with another overlapping chronic illness..for instance FM and CFS or CFS mom and autistic kids and the cancer in some of the families is frightening.

..... HIV causes leaky gut and disruption of the gut microbiome and an open blood brain barrier allowing pathogens access to areas of the body that these pathogens normally would not have access…the same could happen with XMRV... ... XMRV is totally unlike HIV and HTLV-1 in that it is a simple retrovirus the first ever identified human exogenous simple retrovirus and the family of viruses most closely related to XMRV causes neurological diseases and cancer very by mechanisms distinct in many aspects from HIV and HTLV. We discussed earlier XMRV may be much more stable in body fluids other than blood and cell free and would completely explain clusters and sporadic transmission

Q: If XMRV is present but inactive, are there any suggestions as to what could be a trigger for (re)-activation?

A: Estrogens, Androgens, Cortisol (stress) and inflammation.

Q: How might the finding of the XMRV virus relate to Lyme Disease?

A: We are seeing XMRV in Chronic Lyme patients sent to us from several physicians. The hypothesis that chronic XMRV infection creates an underlying immune deficiency is consistent with many co-pathogens including Lyme.

Whole interview: http://www.forums.aboutmecfs.org/showthread.php?4524-Dr.-Judy-Mikovits-IACFS-ME-Newsletter-Apr-2010-Q-amp-A & p=71924#post71924