Re: gene question - Supplementing COMT

[Guest guest]

" helen9jora wrote:

> COMT gene...I am eager to get this test done and see what is what

and if Cheney has anything in his arsenal to help with it if

positive.

> -------

Hi Helen,

I found it helpful to read Cort's newsletter on the topic of gene

mutation. Here is the link. http://phoenix-cfs.org/GSH%20Autism.htm

Below is what he writes about COMT & how to support it.

" Dr. and coworkers investigated SNPs in these children in

various enzymes and other proteins associated with this cycle and

pathway, and they found abnormally high prevalences of SNPs in the

genes coding for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), transcobalamin

II, and glutathione S-transferase M1.

" The enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase [COMT] catalyzes one of the

reactions that breaks down epinephrine (adrenaline) and

norepinephrine (noradrenaline). A mutation in this enzyme that slows

the rate of this reaction would have the effect of allowing

epinephrine to rise to higher concentrations and to have a longer

lifetime. Since epinephrine has been found in animal experiments to

decrease the rate of production of glutathione in the liver as well

as to decrease the rate of chemical reduction (recycling) of

oxidized glutathione, it seems likely that a COMT SNP would tend to

deplete glutathione.

" In the case of the autism work of Dr. and coworkers, they

found that increasing the intake of vitamin B12

(methylcobalamin),folinic acid (the active form of folic acid) and

trimethyglycine (also known as betaine) was effective in bringing

the glutathione level up to normal in children with autism. "

[Guest guest]

Thanks, :

I am on B12 shots and started taking TMG last winter, and Cheney has

me on Folapro since last spring, which might not be quite the same as

folinic acid.

Really appreciate the good information to be found on this list.

Helen

> > COMT gene...I am eager to get this test done and see what is what

> and if Cheney has anything in his arsenal to help with it if

> positive.

> > -------

>

> Hi Helen,

> I found it helpful to read Cort's newsletter on the topic of gene

> mutation. Here is the link. http://phoenix-cfs.org/GSH%20Autism.htm

>

> Below is what he writes about COMT & how to support it.

>

> " Dr. and coworkers investigated SNPs in these children in

> various enzymes and other proteins associated with this cycle and

> pathway, and they found abnormally high prevalences of SNPs in the

> genes coding for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT),

transcobalamin

> II, and glutathione S-transferase M1.

>

> " The enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase [COMT] catalyzes one of

the

> reactions that breaks down epinephrine (adrenaline) and

> norepinephrine (noradrenaline). A mutation in this enzyme that

slows

> the rate of this reaction would have the effect of allowing

> epinephrine to rise to higher concentrations and to have a longer

> lifetime. Since epinephrine has been found in animal experiments to

> decrease the rate of production of glutathione in the liver as well

> as to decrease the rate of chemical reduction (recycling) of

> oxidized glutathione, it seems likely that a COMT SNP would tend to

> deplete glutathione.

>

> " In the case of the autism work of Dr. and coworkers, they

> found that increasing the intake of vitamin B12

> (methylcobalamin),folinic acid (the active form of folic acid) and

> trimethyglycine (also known as betaine) was effective in bringing

> the glutathione level up to normal in children with autism. "

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> > > COMT gene...I am eager to get this test done and see what is

what

> > and if Cheney has anything in his arsenal to help with it if

> > positive.

> > > -------

> >

> > Hi Helen,

> > I found it helpful to read Cort's newsletter on the topic of gene

> > mutation. Here is the link. http://phoenix-cfs.org/GSH%

20Autism.htm

> >

> > Below is what he writes about COMT & how to support it.

> >

> > " Dr. and coworkers investigated SNPs in these children in

> > various enzymes and other proteins associated with this cycle and

> > pathway, and they found abnormally high prevalences of SNPs in

the

> > genes coding for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT),

> transcobalamin

> > II, and glutathione S-transferase M1.

> >

> > " The enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase [COMT] catalyzes one of

> the

> > reactions that breaks down epinephrine (adrenaline) and

> > norepinephrine (noradrenaline). A mutation in this enzyme that

> slows

> > the rate of this reaction would have the effect of allowing

> > epinephrine to rise to higher concentrations and to have a longer

> > lifetime. Since epinephrine has been found in animal experiments

to

> > decrease the rate of production of glutathione in the liver as

well

> > as to decrease the rate of chemical reduction (recycling) of

> > oxidized glutathione, it seems likely that a COMT SNP would tend

to

> > deplete glutathione.

> >

> > " In the case of the autism work of Dr. and coworkers, they

> > found that increasing the intake of vitamin B12

> > (methylcobalamin),folinic acid (the active form of folic acid)

and

> > trimethyglycine (also known as betaine) was effective in bringing

> > the glutathione level up to normal in children with autism. "

> >

> >

> >

why are they referring to folinic acid as leucovorin below? am i

missing something?

1: Arzneimittelforschung. 2006;56(6):399-404. Links

Clinical activity of folinic acid in patients with chronic fatigue

syndrome.Lundell K, Qazi S, Eddy L, Uckun FM.

Institute and Clinics, St. , MN

55113, USA.

A high incidence of severe B-cell immunodeficiency and chronic

reactivated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in patients with

chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is reported herein. Of the 58 patients

evaluated, 100% had evidence of prior EBV exposure and 72% had

evidence for reactivated EBV infection. Notably, 94% of CFS patients

had B-cell immunodeficiency with a marked depletion of their

CD19+IgM+ mature B-lymphocyte population. A remarkable 81% of CFS

patients experienced subjective improvement of their symptoms after

treatment with folinic acid (CAS 58-05-9, leucovorin). The findings

provide unprecedented evidence that CFS frequently is a folinic acid

responsive clinical entity accompanied by B-cell immunodeficiency and

inappropriate antibody responses to EBV.

PMID: 16889122 [PubMed - in process]

[Guest guest]

Hi Spite,

Thanks for the PubMed abstract. Leucovorin is a pharmaceutical grade

folinic acid, the active form of the B complex vitamin, folate. It

helps red and white blood cell formulation and the synthesis of

hemoglobin. If you Google the word, you'll get many articles.

spite.check wrote:

> why are they referring to folinic acid as leucovorin below? am i

> missing something?

>

> 1: Arzneimittelforschung. 2006;56(6):399-404. Links

> Clinical activity of folinic acid in patients with chronic fatigue

> syndrome.Lundell K, Qazi S, Eddy L, Uckun FM.

> Institute and Clinics, St. , MN

> 55113, USA.

>

> A high incidence of severe B-cell immunodeficiency and chronic

> reactivated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in patients with

> chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is reported herein. Of the 58

patients

> evaluated, 100% had evidence of prior EBV exposure and 72% had

> evidence for reactivated EBV infection. Notably, 94% of CFS

patients

> had B-cell immunodeficiency with a marked depletion of their

> CD19+IgM+ mature B-lymphocyte population. A remarkable 81% of CFS

> patients experienced subjective improvement of their symptoms

after

> treatment with folinic acid (CAS 58-05-9, leucovorin). The

findings

> provide unprecedented evidence that CFS frequently is a folinic

acid

> responsive clinical entity accompanied by B-cell immunodeficiency

and

> inappropriate antibody responses to EBV.

>

> PMID: 16889122 [PubMed - in process]

>