Korean J Blood Transfus.  2013 Aug;24(2):155-160.

Analysis of Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-Related Virus (XMRV) in Korean Blood Donors in a Medical Center

• Chang HE
• Hong YJ
• Hwang SM
• Kim TS
• Bae WK
• Park KU
• Song J
• Han KS

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) has been detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNs), therefore, it has been regarded as being infectious and transmittable by transfusion. Thus, we attempted to detect XMRV in blood samples in order to confirm the absence of XMRV from blood donors.
METHODS
We achieved 165 blood donors and four chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) patients. We performed real-time polymerase chain reaction using the LightCycler 480 (Roche, Penzberg, Germany) for the gag and env genes of the XMRV genome. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples. We used Uracil-N-Glycosylase in order to prevent contamination and DNA extracted from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) for amplification control.
RESULTS
No XMRV was detected in any of the blood donors in both the gag and env genes. In four CFS patients, amplification was not detected in the gag gene. In two of four CFS patients, amplifications were detected and the melting temperature was in agreement with that of MEF control in the env gene.
CONCLUSION
Although XMRV was not present in blood samples from blood donors, this is the first report on XMRV in Korean blood donors. We confirmed the absence of XMRV in Korean blood donors, the same as studies reported in other countries.

Keyword

Blood donors; XMRV; Real-time polymerase chain reaction

MeSH Terms

Animals
Blood Donors
DNA
Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic
Fibroblasts
Freezing
Genes, env
Genes, gag
Genome
Humans
Mice
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus
DNA