Re: Brain inflammation/autism/CFS...spinal taps?

[Guest guest]

Hi, shakerz25.

I think it's important in comparing CFS to autism to take into

account that the onset of autism occurs early in life, before the

brain is fully developed, while the onset of CFS occurs after this

development is complete. Thus, a block in the methylation cycle

resulting in lowered SAMe, cysteine, glutathione, taurine and

sulfate would not be expected to produce the same brain effects in

these two disorders.

Spinal fluid analysis has been performed in CFS research and

treatment. B12 and homocysteine were measured in spinal fluid in

CFS in a Swedish study several years ago, showing low B12 and high

homocysteine. I think Natelson's group is (or was) working on

spinal fluid analysis of some sort. Dr. Dan in Incline

Village, NV has done quite a few spinal fluid analyses to look for

viral infections, and has found some and treated them. Jim Baraniuk

et al. recently reported on analysis of proteins in spinal fluid in

CFS, and they showed evidence of a problem in protein folding. I

suggested to him that this may result from glutathione depletion,

because protein folding involved formation of disulfide bonds, and

this requires redox control by glutathione. He replied that he

thinks I am " onto something, " and he hopes to check out that

possibility.

I don't think that analyzing for microglia activation is a routine

test.

There is evidence for brain inflammation in CFS. Dr. Byron Hyde in

Canada has observed vasculitis in the brain in many cases, using

SPECT scanning. The viral encephalitides found by Dr.

involve brain inflammation, and he has used foscarnet (an antiviral)

to treat some of them.

There have been a few PWCs who have reported a feeling of high

pressure inside their heads, and I suspect that this results from

brain swelling in response to viral infection, which raises the

pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid and collapses the arteries

feeding blood to the brain. A spinal tap can evaluate this pressure

as well as analyzing (by PCR) for viruses. This has to be done very

carefully, though, because if the pressure is released too fast,

there can be damage done.

I'm hopeful that getting the glutathione up will take care of the

vasculitis and perhaps also help fight infections in the brain.

Rich

>

> Copied this from the group, and am posting it

because

> I 've seen people here talk recently about CFS/FM being similar to

> autism.

>

> Have spinal fluid analyses been used in CFS research, and have

they

> indicated anything? Do they routinely test for microglia

activation

> mentioned below, or is that innovative and done only in a research

> setting like s Hopkins?

>

> If brain inflammation is the problem, at least in some cases of

CFS,

> how do you treat that? Anything other than the things discussed

here

> (mercury chelation, abx if neurolyme is the problem)...?

>

>

> Focus Narrows in Search for Autism's Cause By SANDRA BLAKESLEE

>

> Published: February 8, 2005

[Guest guest]

Hi

Dr. (and perhaps others) has also found elevated CSF myelin

basic protein (MBP), seen in inflammatory diseases of the CNS, in some

PWCs

Lance

> >

> > Copied this from the group, and am posting it

> because

> > I 've seen people here talk recently about CFS/FM being similar to

> > autism.

> >

> > Have spinal fluid analyses been used in CFS research, and have

> they

> > indicated anything? Do they routinely test for microglia

> activation

> > mentioned below, or is that innovative and done only in a research

> > setting like s Hopkins?

> >

> > If brain inflammation is the problem, at least in some cases of

> CFS,

> > how do you treat that? Anything other than the things discussed

> here

> > (mercury chelation, abx if neurolyme is the problem)...?

> >

> >

> > Focus Narrows in Search for Autism's Cause By SANDRA BLAKESLEE

> >

> > Published: February 8, 2005

>

[Guest guest]

Glutathione is not enough. The autism biomedical model applies to CFS

in almost every way, and it is a very complex process of healing the

gut, limiting the diet, finding out if you are overmethylating or

undermethylating and which supplements to tak eto normalize

methylation, looking at gene mutations such as MTHRFR and as you

mentioend APO and others, chelating the metals very carefully as there

is inevitably redistribution and that causes problems, looking at

chronic infections from borrelia to strep to viruses etc. Glutathione

alone is not a silver bullet. It is very important but it is fixing

one end-result of a very skewed messed up situation.

> >

> > Copied this from the group, and am posting it

> because

> > I 've seen people here talk recently about CFS/FM being similar to

> > autism.

> >

> > Have spinal fluid analyses been used in CFS research, and have

> they

> > indicated anything? Do they routinely test for microglia

> activation

> > mentioned below, or is that innovative and done only in a research

> > setting like s Hopkins?

> >

> > If brain inflammation is the problem, at least in some cases of

> CFS,

> > how do you treat that? Anything other than the things discussed

> here

> > (mercury chelation, abx if neurolyme is the problem)...?

> >

> >

> > Focus Narrows in Search for Autism's Cause By SANDRA BLAKESLEE

> >

> > Published: February 8, 2005

>