Archive for October, 2010

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20846013&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

Abstract From May until October 2007, a total of 658 Ixodes
ricinus ticks were collected off birds (189), rodents (273), and
vegetation (196) in a certain area of Middle Germany and
investigated for infection with Babesia spp., Anaplasma
phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia spp. Overall, 13.1% (86/658) of
the ticks were infected with at least one pathogen; co-infections
occurred in 0.6% (4/658).
Babesia spp. specific DNA was detected in 9.7% (64/658) of the
ticks, 1.4%
(9/658) were infected with A. phagocytophilum, and 2.6% (17/658)
harbored rickettsiae. At least two different Rickettsia species
were identified:
Rickettsia monacensis and Rickettsia helvetica. Our study
provides first interesting insights into the circulation and
co-circulation of several emerging pathogens not only in ticks
parasitizing birds and small mammals as potential reservoirs but
also in questing ticks in a single natural habitat.

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20835623&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

The aim of the present paper was to evaluate cyst formation and
growth parameters of Borrelia garinii in a range of media
differing in formulation and cost. A qualitative assessment of
morphology and motility of B. garinii was conducted. All media
were prepared aseptically and used in test tubes or Petri dishes.
For each medium, the initial spirochete concentration was
standardized to 10(3) spirochets/mL. The following culture media
were suitable to grow B.
garinii: Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly, brain heart infusion and PMR.
Growth was minimal at six weeks post-inoculation and maximum
spirochete density was observed between 9-12 weeks. Often, the
cultures developed cysts of different sizes, isolated or in
groups, with a spiraled portion of variable sizes, mainly in
unfavorable culture media. Brazilian Lyme disease-like illness,
also known as Baggio-Yoshinari syndrome (BYS), is a new and
interesting emerging tick-borne disease, caused by Borrelia
burgdorferi sensu lato spirochetes, only during its cystic forms.
It has been assumed that the peculiar clinical and laboratory
features of BYS are consequential to the absence of a human
sucker Ixodes ricinus complex tick at risk areas in Brazil,
supporting the concept that the borrelia phenotypic expression
pattern is modified as it is transmitted through the host.

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20840915&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

The tick bite transmitted Lyme disease is one of the most common
antropozoonosis, about 10 000 new infections are reported in
Hungary each year.
The progress and clinical presentation can vary, and carditis can
occur in later stages. A serologically verified Lyme disease
caused third degree atrioventricular block in young male
presenting with presyncope. Based on the tick-bites mentioned a
few weeks prior to hospital admission, Lyme carditis was
considered with the administration of antibiotics and monitor
observation.
Typical skin lesions were not recognized and laboratory findings
showed no pathology. An electrophysiological study recorded a
predominant supra-His atrioventricular block. Total regression of
conduction could be detected later and the serological tests
established an underlying Lyme disease. Currently no definite
treatment recommendation is available for the potentially
reversible Lyme carditis. The tick bite seemed to be the key on
our way to diagnosis; however, serological tests proved the
disease to be older than one year. A detailed medical history and
serological tests are essential in identifying the cause and
pacemaker implantation can be avoided. Orv. Hetil., 2010, 39,
1585-1590.

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20842825&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

Lyme borreliosis is a multisystem disease and when involves the
nervous system it is termed neuroborreliosis. The symptomatology
of peripheral neuroborreliosis is rich and varied. The early
symptoms are asymmetric polyradiculopathies and paralysis of the
cranial nerves (most commonly facial nerve). Thereafter, there
are multifocal mononeuropathies and
sensory-motorpolyneuropathies. Difficulties in making a correct
diagnosis can result from the long time lag between tick bite and
the occurrence of neurological symptoms. In the treatment the
most important role play antibiotics. 
CASE REPORTS: We report the cases of three patients with symptoms
of damage to various structures of the peripheral nervous system
in the course of Borrelia burgdorferi infection. In all cases,
clinical improvement was obtained after treatment with
antibiotics, which further confirms the diagnosis of
neuroborreliosis. 
CONCLUSIONS: About neuroborreliosis
as a cause of peripheral neuropathy we should always think in the
case of vague symptoms of peripheral nervous system lesions in
patients with potential exposure to tick bites. Peripheral
neuropathies may occur a long interval from the tick bite and are
not always preceded by other forms of the disease.

Please study this carefully; this field has been grossly ignored. It is not just Lou Gehrig’s Dx, it is many patients whose real problem stems from a blow to the brain and later develop pituitary malfunction.

The Institute for Integrative Medicine conference covered the topic of brain trauma and pituitary malfunction in great detail and they have videos from all three days of their inaugural meeting. The next meeting will be January 28-30 in Orlando, Florida very reasonably prices with outstanding information. Registration and other information found onhttp://www.theifim.com/. 

And there are safe effective and affordable alternatives orally administered, as Mark Gordon lectures. He and University Compounding carry a product he helped develop and I have located a non-prescription product from a multi-level company http://www.orendainternational.com called O-Tropin, which appears to be providing similar benefits. Longevity Plus is offering it to retail clients at this time.

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

Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/sports/18gehrig.html?emc=na

Excerpt:

A peer-reviewed paper to be published tomorrow in a leading journal of neuropathology suggests that Lou Gehrig’s demise — and that of some other athletes and soldiers given a
diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — might have been catalyzed by injuries only now becoming understood: concussions and other brain trauma.

Although the paper does not discuss the Yankees slugger specifically, its authors in interviews acknowledged the clear implication: Lou Gehrig might not have had Lou Gehrig’s
disease.

A relatively common defect involving Sialic acid –sets the stage for patients to develop autoimmune related illnesses! I continue to discuss my FIGHT program, as the best way to approach any autoimmune related condition.www.gordonresearch.com

Possibly, in the future, with evidence this strong, genetic testing for this variant could lead to patients being advised to go on my FIGHT program before they have the symptoms of one of the over 100 different autoimmune related conditions. The best statistics today indicate that over 40% of us have difficulty with either dairy or gluten. So, before we start seeing auto-antibodies to our tissues, those with this variant might want to eliminate those foods and do the rest of the FIGHT program too.

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

Full article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20555325?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn

Excerpt:

Functionally defective germline variants of sialic acid acetylesterase in autoimmunity.
Surolia I, Pirnie SP, Chellappa V, Taylor KN, Cariappa A, Moya J, Liu H, Bell DW, Driscoll DR, Diederichs S, Haider K, Netravali I, Le S, Elia R, Dow E, Lee A, Freudenberg J, De Jager PL, Chretien Y, Varki A, Macdonald ME, Gillis T, Behrens TW, Bloch D, Collier D, Korzenik J, Podolsky DK, Hafler D, Murali M, Sands B, Stone JH, Gregersen PK, Pillai S.
Cancer Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.

Abstract
Sialic acid acetylesterase (SIAE) is an enzyme that negatively regulates B lymphocyte antigen receptor signalling and is required for the maintenance of immunological tolerance in mice. Heterozygous loss-of-function germline rare variants and a homozygous defective polymorphic variant of SIAE were identified in 24/923 subjects of European origin with relatively common autoimmune disorders and in 2/648 controls of European origin. All heterozygous loss-of-function SIAE mutations tested were capable of functioning in a dominant negative manner. A homozygous secretion-defective polymorphic variant of SIAE was catalytically active, lacked the ability to function in a dominant negative manner, and was seen in eight autoimmune subjects but in no control subjects. The odds ratio for inheriting defective SIAE alleles was 8.6 in all autoimmune subjects, 8.3 in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis, and 7.9 in subjects with type I diabetes. Functionally defective SIAE rare and polymorphic variants represent a strong genetic link to susceptibility in relatively common human autoimmune disorders.

Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&id=20844223&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks

Excerpt:

Members of the genus Borrelia are among the most common
infectious agents causing tick-borne disease in humans worldwide.
Here, we developed a Light Upon
eXtension(TM) (LUX) real-time PCR assay that can detect and
quantify Borrelia species in ticks that have fed on humans, and
we applied the assay to 399 such ticks. Borrelia PCR-positive
ticks were identified to species by sequencing the products of
conventional PCR performed using Borrelia group-specific primers.
There was a 19% prevalence of Borrelia spp. in the detached
ticks, and the number of spirochetes per Borrelia PCR-positive
tick ranged from 2.0 x 10(2) to
4.9 x 10(5) with a median of 7.8 x 10(3) spirochetes. Adult ticks
had a significantly larger number of spirochetes with a median of
8.4 x 10(4) compared to the median of nymphs 4.4 x 10(4). Adult
ticks also exhibited higher prevalence of Borrelia (33%) compared
to nymphs (14%). Among the identified species, Borrelia afzelii
was found to predominate (61%), followed by B. garinii (23%), B.
valaisiana (13%), B. burgdorferi sensu stricto (1%), B.
lusitaniae (1%), and B. miyamotoi-like (1%). Also, 3% of the
ticks were co-infected with multiple strains of B. afzelii.
Notably, this is the first report of B.
lusitaniae being detected in ticks in Sweden. 

Linda’s comments:  I have been on Dr Gordon’s FIGHT program for 1 1/2 years and IT WORKS.  Please do not take Statin’s….Eating non-GMO foods will help to prevent colon problems….don’t forget to take your probiotics….

Dr. Gordon’s Comments: This 2.6 fold increase in heart disease in those who are wheezing suggests that my FIGHT program is needed for patients with heart disease issues.

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

Full article: http://www.nhiondemand.com/HSJArticle.aspx?id=914&utm_source=NHI+OnDemand+Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=a61eed16f7-HSJ_Sep30_2010&utm_medium=emai

Excerpt:

Allergy is a disorder of the immune system which is a form of hypersensitivity. An allergic reaction is an inappropriate immune reaction to an otherwise harmless substance. Allergens can be environmental, chemical, or food-based. Common allergens include dust mites, pollen, animal dander, and certain foods. Allergens can be absorbed into the body through the skin, respiratory tract, or gastrointestinal tract. Allergens are proteins or low-molecular weight substances that the body identifies as antigenic. This creates an immune response known as a hypersensitive or allergic reaction. The production of chemical mediators in these allergic reactions may produce symptoms ranging from mild to life threatening.

In the United States, the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death is coronary heart disease also known as coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary artery disease occurs when a substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart (called coronary arteries). Plaque is made up of cholesterol deposits, which can accumulate in your arteries. When this happens, your arteries can narrow over time. This process is called atherosclerosis. Plaque buildup can cause angina, the most common symptom of CAD. This condition causes chest pain or discomfort because the heart muscle doesn’t get enough blood. Over time, CAD can weaken the heart muscle. This may lead to heart failure, a serious condition where the heart can’t pump blood the way that it should. An irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, can also develop. For some people, the first sign of CAD is a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when plaque totally blocks an artery carrying blood to the heart. It also can happen if a plaque deposit breaks off and clots a coronary artery. 

Full article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12037568

Excerpt:

 Antimicrobial factors form one arm of the innate immune system, which protects mucosal surfaces from bacterial infection. These factors can rapidly kill bacteria deposited on mucosal surfaces and prevent acute invasive infections. In many chronic infections, however, bacteria live in biofilms, which are distinct, matrix-encased communities specialized for surface persistence. The transition from a free-living, independent existence to a biofilm lifestyle can be devastating, because biofilms notoriously resist killing by host defence mechanisms and antibiotics. We hypothesized that the innate immune system possesses specific activity to protect against biofilm infections. Here we show that lactoferrin, a ubiquitous and abundant constituent of human external secretions, blocks biofilm development by the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This occurs at lactoferrin concentrations below those that kill or prevent growth. By chelating iron, lactoferrin stimulates twitching, a specialized form of surface motility, causing the bacteria to wander across the surface instead of forming cell clusters and biofilms.