Stealth-adapted viruses: Potential link to Morgellon's syndrome

Is it possible that stealth-adapted viruses may be responsible for producing the pigmented thread-like structures that patients diagnosed as having delusional parasitosis believe are parasitic? Martin’s investigations suggest that there may be a direct relationship between stealth-adapted virus infection and the symptoms displayed by individuals diagnosed with delusional parasitosis or Morgellon’s syndrome.

Stealth-adapted viruses are viruses which are able to evade the body’s immune system, much like the stealth flyer evades radar. Stealth-adapted viruses lack virus components that are targeted by the body’s immune system. Stealth-adapted viruses have a cellular repair system that is associated with formation of pigmented materials of various forms: solid conglomerates of minute particles, long threads and shorter ribbon-like structures. The solid structures are commonly black, while the ribbons and threads present in diverse colors: blue, yellow, green, brown, red, and translucent.

Threads and ribbons could occasionally be seen forming instantaneously, and emerging from the solid particles in long-term virus cultures. Martin described the particles as typically auto-fluorescent with both red and green emissions when observed under ultraviolet light, and electrostatic properties. Cultures of cells infected with stealth-adapted viruses contain numerous needle-shaped crystals composed of lipids. The production of needle occurs even in the absence of viable cells, presumably related to the presence of alternative cellular energy (ACE) pigments. ACE pigments are thought to provide a non-mitochondrial alternative energy source for hydrocarbon synthesis, similar to chlorophyll in carbohydrate synthesis.

Studies involving blood mononuclear cells from patients infected with stealth-adapted viruses demonstrated changes in damage to human connective tissue cells: clusters of foamy vacuolated cells commonly became heavily pigmented with pigmented material coalescing into solid particles, flat ribbons, and long thin threads. Accumulation of the pigmented material was associated with a decrease in damage to the connective tissue cells, suggesting the role of pigment formation in cellular repair. The particles were also shown to have electron donating capacity and the ability to liberate gas, suggesting that the pigments are a potential source of cellular energy.

Martin described similarities between particles arising from the skin of patients previously diagnosed as having delusional parasitosis, and structures that form in cultures of stealth-adapted viruses. Martin noted the formation of numerous needle-shaped crystals that formed over several days on an agar plate around a particle retrieved from a patient. Martin reported similarities between auto-fluorescent fibers embedded in skin flakes from patients such as those presented at www.morgellons.org. Some patients photographed and video-recorded skin-derived structures that showed rapid jerky movements of the particles and slow coiling and uncoiling of colored fibers. Martin hypothesized that the presence of ACE pigments may represent a process that was originally involved in attempts by the body to acquire additional sources of cellular energy.

Stealth-adapted viruses that have acquired bacterial sequences are termed viteria. Martin found that bacteria isolated from patients infected with stealth-adapted viruses can produce structures similar to ACE pigments seen in cultures of stealth-adapted viruses. He further suggested that the increase in the number of particles once outside the body (an observation by patients diagnosed with delusional parasitosis) may be explained by bacterial replication of stealth-adapted viruses and bacterial production of ACE pigments. Martin cautioned that viteria infected bacteria pose an important public health issue and may lead to wider spread of stealth-adapted viruses.

Clearly, further study is required to definitively link delusional parasitosis and Morgellon’s syndrome to stealth-adapted virus infection. For now, it remains an interesting concept that might explain the presence of the unusual structures observed by patients suffering from these conditions.

Sources:

Martin WJ. Alternative cellular energy pigments from bacteria of stealth cirus infected individuals. Exp Mol Pathol 2005. Jun;78(3):215-7.

Martin WJ. Alternative cellular energy pigments mistaken for parasitic skin infestations. Exp Mol Pathol 2005 Jun;78(3):212-4.

Martin WJ Stealth virus culture pigments: a potential source of cellular energy. Exp Mol Pathol. 2003 Jun;74(3):210-23.

Martin WJ Chemokine receptor-related genetic sequences in an African green monkey simian cytomegalovirus-derived stealth virus. Exp Mol Pathol 2000 Aug:69(1):1-6.

Apr 2, 2007 3:47 AM

Rosemary Drisdelle :

Judy, when you say "Stealth-adapted viruses are viruses which are able to evade the body's immune system" do you mean that they evoke no immune response, therefore they cause no symptoms, no disease? Are these viruses just fellow travellers that we all have?

Apr 3, 2007 3:27 PM

Judy Arbique :

That's a good question, and I'm not really sure of the answer, but it would seem that these viruses have the potential to cause infections as suggested by the author of many of the works referenced. But as you indicated, if these viruses can evade the immune system, they would have to undergo some change in order to actually cause infection. Or, they may contribute to non-infectious syndromes, perhaps as a result of the structures that may be formed in the body and in bacteria within the body. I was unclear of the author's intent.

Apr 4, 2007 4:29 AM

Rosemary Drisdelle :

This is fascinating and it makes me think about viruses being used for gene therapy - viruses that don't cause disease but can get inside a human cell to deliver missing genes etc. (Is this still in the research stage or are they actually doing it?) I wonder if these viruses fall into the stealth-adapted virus category. The concept is a bit confusing actually - if stealth-adapted simply means they don't provoke an immune response, does that make all our normal commensal bacteria - on our skin, in our mouths etc. - stealth-adapted bacteria? I realize you may not have the answers to these questions - I'm really just thinking out loud.

Apr 4, 2007 6:24 PM

Judy Arbique :

I'm thinking with you. I am actually working on an article on gene therapy, and yes, virus-encoded genes are being trialed as well as non-viral gene vectors. I'm still in the research stages of the article, so any info you may come across is much appreciated.

Apr 20, 2007 4:06 PM

W. John Martin :

Dear Members,
I was pleased to see reference to stealth adapted viruses in a recent posting by Judy Arbique. These viruses fail to evoke an inflammatory reaction because they lack the few critical antigenic components normally targeted by the cellular immune system. They have been cultured from patients, many of whom show signs of significant brain damage. Such patients include children with autism and learning/behavioral disorders, adults with psychiatric diseases and elderly with neurodegenerative illnesses. Information on these viruses is available at www.s3support.com
Virologists have been somewhat slow to appreciate that effective immune recognition is achieved by the selective expression of relatively few antigens on the cell surface. This is consistent with individual lymphocytes being clonally restricted to react with only single antigenic specificities. As an example, human cytomegalovirus comprises at least 150 separately coded antigens, designated as UL for the unique long region of the genome and US for the unique short region of the genome. Yet, approximately 60% of all cytotoxic T cells (CTL) are directed against the UL83 coded antigen, 25% of the CTL response is directed against the UL55 coded antigen and a further 10% of CTL are directed against the UL123 antigen. A cytomegalovirus lacking these 3 components would evade much of the normal anti-cytomegalovirus cellular immune defense. An analogy is that of a terrorist who does not display any military insignia.
Politically, the major drawback in accepting the concept of stealth adaptation is the origin of some of these viruses from African green monkey simian cytomegalovirus (SCMV). This finding implies an origin from polio vaccines produced in kidney cell cultures from African green monkeys. FDA has confirmed the presence of SCMV DNA in some batches of licensed polio vaccines.
A well defined SCMV derived stealth virus repeatedly isolated from a patient with chronic fatigue syndrome is highly pathogenic when inoculated into animals. It causes widespread cellular damage with no accompanying inflammatory reaction.
The most promising aspect of this research is that it has identified an auxiliary defense mechanism based on cells obtaining energy through a non-mitochondrial alternative cellular energy (ACE) pathway. This pathway probably preceded chlorophyll photosynthesis in being able to convert physical energy into cellular energy. Activation of the ACE pathway offers potential the