tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5694894153899281485.post6004493832514116498..comments2024-03-09T08:14:49.856-08:00Comments on LymeMD: Spirochete Associated Immune Dysregulation- A new paradigmLyme report: Montgomery County, MDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11035327980787631502noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5694894153899281485.post-53364826396696560222009-06-06T08:22:48.712-07:002009-06-06T08:22:48.712-07:00Comment: Maybe immune dysfunction and the presenc...Comment: Maybe immune dysfunction and the presence of multiple pathogens is as important as genes in predicting the course of the disease. And maybe one can acquire toxoplasma from multiple sources, ticks being just one of them?<br /><br />-------------------------------------<br /><br />J Neuroinflammation. 2008 Oct 23;5:48.Click here to read Click here to read Links<br /> Neurological and behavioral abnormalities, ventricular dilatation, altered cellular functions, inflammation, and neuronal injury in brains of mice due to common, persistent, parasitic infection.<br /> Hermes G, Ajioka JW, Kelly KA, Mui E, Roberts F, Kasza K, Mayr T, Kirisits MJ, Wollmann R, Ferguson DJ, Roberts CW, Hwang JH, Trendler T, Kennan RP, Suzuki Y, Reardon C, Hickey WF, Chen L, McLeod R.<br /><br /> Department of Ophthalmology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. hermespin@aol.com<br /><br /> BACKGROUND: Worldwide, approximately two billion people are chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii with largely unknown consequences. <br /><br /> METHODS: To better understand long-term effects and pathogenesis of this common, persistent brain infection, mice were infected at a time in human years equivalent to early to mid adulthood and studied 5-12 months later. Appearance, behavior, neurologic function and brain MRIs were studied. Additional analyses of pathogenesis included: correlation of brain weight and neurologic findings; histopathology focusing on brain regions; full genome microarrays; immunohistochemistry characterizing inflammatory cells; determination of presence of tachyzoites and bradyzoites; electron microscopy; and study of markers of inflammation in serum.<br /><br /> Histopathology in genetically resistant mice and cytokine and NRAMP knockout mice, effects of inoculation of isolated parasites, and treatment with sulfadiazine or alphaPD1 ligand were studied.<br /><br /><br /> RESULTS: Twelve months after infection, a time equivalent to middle to early elderly ages, mice had behavioral and neurological deficits, and brain MRIs showed mild to moderate ventricular dilatation. Lower brain weight correlated with greater magnitude of neurologic abnormalities and inflammation.<br /><br /> Full genome microarrays of brains reflected inflammation causing neuronal damage (Gfap), effects on host cell protein processing (ubiquitin ligase), synapse remodeling (Complement 1q), and also increased expression of PD-1L (a ligand that allows persistent LCMV brain infection) and CD 36 (a fatty acid translocase and oxidized LDL receptor that mediates innate immune response to beta amyloid which is associated with pro-inflammation in Alzheimer's disease). Immunostaining detected no inflammation around intra-neuronal cysts, practically no free tachyzoites, and only rare bradyzoites. Nonetheless, there were perivascular, leptomeningeal inflammatory cells, particularly contiguous to the aqueduct of Sylvius and hippocampus, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and activated microglia in perivascular areas and brain parenchyma. Genetically resistant, chronically infected mice had substantially less inflammation.<br /><br /><br /> CONCLUSION: In outbred mice, chronic, adult acquired T. gondii infection causes neurologic and behavioral abnormalities secondary to inflammation and loss of brain parenchyma. Perivascular inflammation is prominent particularly contiguous to the aqueduct of Sylvius and hippocampus. Even resistant mice have perivascular inflammation. This mouse model of chronic T. gondii infection raises questions of whether persistence of this parasite in brain can cause inflammation or neurodegeneration in genetically susceptible hosts.<br /><br /> PMID: 18947414 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]lymiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00123316749536517739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5694894153899281485.post-32756974338041041392009-06-06T08:21:10.364-07:002009-06-06T08:21:10.364-07:00Here are two interesting articles:
Ann Agric Env...Here are two interesting articles:<br /><br /><br />Ann Agric Environ Med. 2008 Dec;15(2):333-8.<br /><br /> Preliminary study on the occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii in Ixodes ricinus ticks from north-western Poland with the use of PCR.<br /> Sroka J, Wójcik-Fatla A, Zwoliński J, Zajac V, Sawczuk M, Dutkiewicz J.<br /><br /> Department of Occupational Biohazards, Institute of Agricultural Medicine, Jaczewskiego 2, Lublin, Poland. jack@galen.imw.lublin.pl<br /><br /> A batch of 259 Ixodes ricinus ticks collected by flagging in woodlands of north-western Poland (Szczecin area) was examined for the presence of Toxoplasma gondii DNA with nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Positive isolates were genotyped with the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of B1 gene marker. Another batch of 340 I. ricinus ticks from Szczecin area was homogenized and inoculated into mice. Subsequently, the biological material obtained from inoculated mice was also examined with nested PCR for the presence of Toxoplasma gondii DNA and positive isolates were genotyped with RFLP as above. The study revealed that 12.7 % of I. ricinus ticks were infected with T. gondii. Prevalence of T. gondii infection was highest in females (27.9 %), being significantly greater (p<0.05) than in males (12.3 % ) and nymphs (5.6 % ). Most of the positive isolates (78.8 % ) belonged to type I of T. gondii. Samples from brains and other organs of 60 inoculated mice showed 44 positive results for T. gondii DNA with the dominance of atypical genotype and frequent mixed infections.<br /><br /> PMID: 19061272 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]lymiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00123316749536517739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5694894153899281485.post-40079929773160185042009-05-28T10:17:54.070-07:002009-05-28T10:17:54.070-07:00This discussion brings to mind two things. I recen...This discussion brings to mind two things. I recently read "Fatal Sequence" (bad title) by Kevin Tracey, a cytokine researcher. He explores how the nervous system can directly and dramatically communicate with the immune system, independent of the traditional humoral model. Because Bb has profound effects on the nervous system, it is possible nervous system disfunction impairs proper immune response. As with most things biological, it is hard to says what causes what.<br /><br />The other thing I was reminded of was Jordan Fisher Smith's statement in the film Under Our Skin, regarding Lyme disease, where he asks did we really think we could completely disrupt our environment and not have it affect our heath?<br /><br />The microbial ecosystem of the human body has been subject to severe disruption, particularly for the last fifty years. Who really knows the affects of vaccines, antibiotics, and the tons of manufactured chemicals we are exposed to? How does this affect a balanced system of internal microbes? What we call Lyme disease seems much more complex than an infection with a single bacteria species. Our conceptual model needs to recognize the many, complex, interrelated factors.Spinhirnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04889454183582894521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5694894153899281485.post-18835081130363867352009-05-16T21:26:00.000-07:002009-05-16T21:26:00.000-07:00Yunzhi used in traditional Chinese medicine has be...Yunzhi used in traditional Chinese medicine has been shown in the literature to re balance th1-- th2 imbalance. Vita Green Pharma sells this as an extract.<br /> Also, theoretically, a tetanus shot might have same effect. <br /><br /> Any one else have any suggestions??Momcat1011https://www.blogger.com/profile/00255089471739903227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5694894153899281485.post-42157469709330586592009-05-16T17:43:00.000-07:002009-05-16T17:43:00.000-07:00Someone was paying attention. This is the nugget o...Someone was paying attention. This is the nugget of gold contained in this blog. My hypothesis is that it is the immune supression which accompanies the Lyme sydrome which allows previously contained microorganisms to florish. My current theory holds that the finding of these unusual organisms in the blood may turn out to be a marker of disease severity. They do not go away with antibiotics because the immune system is not doing its job properly. If I am correct then the mystery bugs should not be specifically treated. An overall therapy which addresses the major immune system deactivation, perhaps Bb should be pursued instead. Chasing the incidental bugs may just take one's eye off the important ball. When balance in the immune system is restored, hopefully the mystery bugs will disappear of their own accord- go back into the lairs where they properly belong. This was my epiphany. Of course it is just a theory and may turn out to be compeletly wrong. I reserve the right to reverse this position at a later date.Lyme report: Montgomery County, MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11035327980787631502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5694894153899281485.post-848272138870554582009-05-16T16:13:00.000-07:002009-05-16T16:13:00.000-07:00So, are we sicker because we have more germs, or d...So, are we sicker because we have more germs, or do we have more germs because we are sicker?<br /><br />The puzzle is what came from the tick, what is latent reactivated, and what showed up later and took advantage of the situation? Combination of all of these?lymiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00123316749536517739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5694894153899281485.post-21218340070320643812009-05-14T07:49:00.000-07:002009-05-14T07:49:00.000-07:00Parasites have developed some incredible strategie...Parasites have developed some incredible strategies for proliferation. There is a good layman's article on toxoplasma in the NY Times from a couple of years ago - just search for "toxoplasma" at nytimes.com and you can read it. Very, very scary stuff. Hijacking of dendrites to penetrate the brain, etc.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18260577495402649946noreply@blogger.com