Archive for April, 2010

Antibodies against gangliosides in Lyme patients

Excerpt:

RESULTS: Antibodies were detected in all evaluated groups. In
group of neuroborreliosis (lymphocytic meningitis with cranial
nerve invoIvement) there was no essential difference with control
group.
It was stated in group of forestry workers with serological
features of infection B. burgdorferi lasting for years.
CONCLUSIONS: Results of the study do
not support the thesis of participation of IgG autoantibodies
against gangliosides in pathogenesis early disseminated Lyme
borreliosis in form of lymphocytic meningitis with cranial nerves
paresis. Antibodies against endogenous glicosfingolipides in Lyme
borreliosis probably can lead to affecting nervous system
(demielinisation and polineuropathy) but probably require
long-term immunization, what is suggested by results of examined
group of patients with the multi-annual serological features of
infection.

Neuroretinitis as a manifestation of Lyme disease in India

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20370334&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

PURPOSE: To report a rare case of Lyme disease with
neuroretinitis from South India.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective case report. A 45-year-old
lady who hails from the Nagarhole forest in South India presented
with a history of tick bite followed by diminution of vision in
the left eye. Fundus evaluation of the left eye showed
neuroretinitis. Mantoux test, Treponema pallidum hemagglutination
test, serum angiotensin converting enzyme, and ELISA for
toxoplasmosis and rickettsial infections were negative. ELISA for
Lyme disease was positive for IgM antibodies. This was confirmed
by Western blot test.

RESULTS: Ocular inflammation resolved with a course of doxycyline
and oral steroids. The species of the tick was also identified.
CONCLUSION: This case
highlights the need to consider Lyme disease, though rare in
India, in the differential diagnosis of neuroretinitis especially
if the patient hails from a forest area.

Infectious arthritis and immune dysregulation

Linda’s comments:  Detoxing the body is important with any autoimmune disease.  Diet is important, as those of us with chronic illness should NOT be eating GMO foods!!  I’m on a lifelong daily detox protocol for over a 1 1/2 years now and it has made all the difference in my wellness journey.  Go to www.gordonresearch.com and listen to all the F.I.G.H.T. webinar’s….learn how to reach your maximum goal of detoxing your body.  When I became gluten free and began my lifelong daily detox, the arthritis pain left.  However, when I ingest gluten and sugars the pain returns.
Excerpt:
PURPOSE OF REVIEW:
Borrelia burgdorferi colonization of the joints induces an inflammatory response, which in some individuals progresses to chronic arthritis. In this review, we discuss novel pathways that are implicated in disease development by modulating host defenses to B. burgdorferi infection.

SUMMARY: The cause and pathogenesis of Lyme arthritis are complex. Elucidating the mechanisms that govern this chronic inflammatory response will provide direct insights into other infectious arthritides and the development of novel therapeutic approaches against B. burgdorferi infection.

KEY POINTS OF THE UTAH METH COPS PROJECT

Are you sweating enough to really detox?  Maybe you need this advanced program using a Far Infrared Sauna at least 8 hours minimum a day for a month or longer to really lower the total body toxin load we all carry today.     

This link provides useful background information on some of the pollutants we all carry today and what are the illnesses that they cause.

Dr Gerald Ross MD has summarized key information about the HUBBARD DETOXIFICATION program successfully used now across the country.

This is a brief excerpt from this presentation:

“There are also growing concerns of the genetic damage caused by many of the pollutants with which the U.S. population is extensively contaminated. Some children now have a significantly higher risk of the development of cancer, due to DNA damage produced by pollutant chemical exposures, especially in early fetal growth before they were born.21-22

NATURAL AND ENHANCED DETOXIFICATION. The basic philosophy of attempting
to enhance human detoxification has been used for thousands of years.
Commonly-known examples are Roman and Turkish baths, Scandinavian
saunas, and North American native sweat lodges.”

I suggest that anyone doing serious detoxification add MANY other things from Homeopathic Drainage Remedies to Beyond Fiber, BioEn’R-G’y C, ZeoGold and, of course, oral chelators. All work better if you lower inflammation using a diet that better balances the seriously disturbed OMEGA 6/3 ratio in our diet today. But, always sweating will be beneficial although some skin conditions will first need to eliminate all foods and allergens that are contributing to their condition.

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=8077688258&topic=9235

Excerpt:

• BACKGROUND: About 200 Utah SWAT, narcotics and undercover police officers were exposed to methamphetamine related chemicals during ‘Meth Lab raids’.

• EXPOSURE: Most officers had inadequate protection from these toxic chemicals.

• MAIN ISSUE: A substantial number of officers have developed serious health problems after these methamphetamine and related chemical exposures.

• LINK: Most of the affected officers have a similar cluster of symptoms.

• DEATHS: Several officers who were exposed to methamphetamine labs have died with cancers not common to this age group.

• PRECEDENT: The New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project has treated over 1000 heavily-exposed police and firefighters using the Hubbard Detoxification Protocol. Very positive health improvements have been published regarding this World Trade Center group and previous-published Hubbard detoxification programs.

Rickettsiae in Gulf Coast Ticks – Arkansas

Full article: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/index.htm

Excerpt:

To determine the cause of spotted fever cases in the southern United States, we screened Gulf Coast ticks (Amblyomma maculatum) collected in Arkansas for rickettsiae. Of the screened ticks, 30% had PCR amplicons consistent with Rickettsia parkeri or Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified Arkansas as a leading state for the incidence of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (causative agent Rickettsia rickettsii) and reported >15 cases per 1,000,000 persons in 2002 (1). Given the known cross-reactivity of serologic testing results for spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsia, it is unclear if cases outside the natural range of the vectors for R. rickettsii are misdiagnosed, if the pathogen is less virulent than previously suggested, or if additional rickettsiae are responsible for pathogenesis (2).

 

Borreliosis & Depression in psoriasis – a case report

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20369726&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

Lyme disease is a multisystem infectious disease with a wide
variety of symptoms involving the skin as well as the nervous
system. Lyme disease is caused by spirochaete Borrelia
burgdorferi transmitted by Ixodes ticks in endemic regions.
A case of 45 year old woman suffering from borreliosis, psoriasis
and depression is presented in the paper. In the study a
standardized screening list was applied to evaluate the
psychiatric health state–Classification of Psychic Disorders
(DSM-IV) and Hamilton Scale. Patient was diagnosed with a major
depressive episode (MDE) according to DSM-IV Diagnosis Criteria.
Patient obtained a score 21 on the 24-item in Hamilton Rating
Scale of Depression.

Vitamin C & Gout

Vitamin C improves Gout!  I have attended a high level conference on MYCOTOXINS in our environment and the research was very powerful. These substances like AFLOTOXINS that we all consume from our diet, including corn and wheat were shown to be a major contributor to Gout. 

We all forget the high dose Vitamin C is a major detoxifier, as when it leaves the body it is always carrying toxins with it. So the more that leaves the lower the toxin load will be!  Somehow when we get excited about what high dose IV Ascorbic Acid can do, we forget we all live on a toxic planet and our patients need the oral forms of Ascorbic Acid TOO on a daily basis, ideally for life, to get the full benefits Ascorbic Acid supplementation can provide.

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H)
President, Gordon Research Institute
www.gordonresearch.com

Article Excerpt:

Medscape Medical News 2009. © 2009 Medscape
March 10, 2009 — Vitamin C supplementation may help prevent gout, according to the results of a prospective study reported in the March 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
“Several metabolic studies and a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial have shown that higher vitamin C intake significantly reduces serum uric acid levels,” write Hyon K. Choi, MD, DrPH, from Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and colleagues. “Yet the relation with risk of gout is unknown.”
From 1986 through 2006, the investigators evaluated the association between vitamin C intake and the risk for incident gout in 46,994 male participants who had no history of gout at baseline. American College of Rheumatology criteria for gout were determined by a supplementary questionnaire, and validated questionnaires administered every 4 years examined vitamin C intake.
There were 1317 confirmed incident cases of gout during 20 years of follow-up. Compared with vitamin C intake less than 250 mg/day, the multivariate relative risk (RR) for gout associated with total vitamin C intake of 500 to 999 mg/day was 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71 – 0.97). For intake of 1000 to 1499 mg/day, RR was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.52 – 0.86), and for 1500 mg/day or greater, it was 0.55 (95% CI, 0.38 – 0.80; P < .001 for trend). Per 500-mg increase in total daily vitamin C intake, the multivariate RR was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.77 – 0.90).

Tick population explodes, raising Lyme disease concerns

Linda’s comments:  Tick population exploding isn’t just on the East coast, it is US wide.  More and more ER’s are reporting a BIG increase with tick bites.   More importantly, you don’t have to have a tick bite to get Lyme disease.  BEWARE and pay attention when in the great outdoors.

Full article: http://www.newburyportnews.com/punews/local_story_099222830.html

Excerpt:

NEWBURYPORT — Deer ticks have been appearing in huge numbers throughout the region, raising concerns about Lyme disease.

All along the East Coast, health experts have seen a sudden and dramatic increase in ticks.

“Just in the past week or two, we have seen an explosion in deer ticks,” said Dr. Heidi Bassler, medical director of the Veterinary Center of Greater Newburyport.

The unusually warm weather and record-setting rains have helped bolster the tick population. Hospitals, such as Addison-Gilbert in Gloucester, have experienced a surge in tick bite cases. Normally, the hospital sees one or two cases per day; now it is seeing eight or 10.

There are two different kinds of ticks that are predominant in the region. Dog ticks are about the size of a pencil eraser; deer ticks, the more dangerous species, are closer to the size of a pen point.

With a single bite, deer ticks can transmit Lyme disease, symptoms of which include a debilitating complex of fever, headache, fatigue and depression, and two other illnesses of similar symptoms.

Ticks are mostly found in woods and fields. High grass, including dune grass, is one of their favored habitats.

Ticks on the rise in Chino Hills State Park

Full article: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14799704

Excerpt:

CHINO HILLS, Calif.—There’s an unusually large population of bloodsucking ticks in Chino Hills State Park.

The Ontario-based West Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District blames an increase in vegetation after winter rains and animals attracted to those areas for food.

Ticks can harbor Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can infect a tick-bitten human. No human cases have been reported so far.

District manager Min-Lee Cheng says 843 ticks have been found in rural parts of Chino Hills, mostly in the park area, and a small number of ticks have been detected in the Mystic Canyon Area.

Cheng urges people avoid walking too close to vegetation in open areas and use insect repellents containing DEET.

Linda’s comment:  Misdiagnosing Lyme disease for MS is a very common thing these days,  It isn’t jut happening in Canada, it is happening world-wide. We must bring education and awareness to this serious matter.  When ignored patients are becoming sicker and sicker.  Lyme is best diagnosed clinically, as there are not that many Lyme blood tests that are accurate.  Most doctors now realize, when in doubt treat for Lyme.

Full article: http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Doctors+misdiagnose+Lyme+disease+researcher/2908675/story.html

Excerpt:

A Manitoba researcher says some patients deemed by doctors to suffer from multiple sclerosis may be misdiagnosed.

In a recent thesis, Winnipeg researcher Kathleen Crang found that some Manitobans diagnosed with MS and other chronic conditions may actually be suffering from the borrelia bacteria, a tick-borne “biological evil genius” that causes Lyme disease.

“If I knew someone with MS, I’d be saying, ‘Let’s look at those questions,’ ” said Crang. “If their MS is coupled with heart problems, or skin rashes, or rheumatological involvement, there might be some question as to why.”

After all, the bug is dubbed “the second great imitator” — syphilis is the first.

Tests for Lyme disease can be unreliable; many of the disease’s 75 known symptoms are shared by a host of neurological conditions. Case studies have even found that Lyme can produce lesions on the brain like those seen in MS.

That in itself isn’t breaking news. Crang’s thesis, titled Knowledge and Perception of Lyme disease in Manitoba: Implications for Risk Assessment, found numerous reports in Europe and the United States of Lyme disease being initially misdiagnosed as everything from MS to ALS and fibromyalgia.

But in Manitoba, where Lyme is thought to be almost non-existent, Crang found that doctors may not be on the lookout for the disease.

Could that lack of concern lead to lasting misdiagnoses?

“There’s a bit of a disconnect there,” said Crang. “It’s an information-flow problem. The fact that individuals are hearing such low numbers of Lyme leads to a perception that Lyme isn’t there.”

In a series of interviews for the thesis, Crang found that many Manitoba public health decision-makers and clinicians didn’t perceive Lyme as a threat to Manitobans, and “did not expect they would see patients with the disease.”

Crang, 44, is living proof that the mistake can be made.

In 1999, doctors told the Fort Richmond Collegiate science teacher that she had MS; an MRI appeared to confirm the diagnosis.