Guest guest Posted July 14, 2006 Report Posted July 14, 2006 > >on the topic of ears, my eustachian tube is blocked. and have been for quite some time. they suspect it is mold, but couldn't it be lots of things? how and what to test for? I wonder about spraying the mold nasal spray in there? amy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION > > > > > > INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION > > > Messages In This Digest (25 > Messages) > > > > > 1a. > > new chronic ear infection finding > From: > > 1b. > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > From: > > 1c. > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > From: > Penny Houle > 1d. > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > From: > Penny Houle > 1e. > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > From: > dumbaussie2000 > 1f. > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > From: > Jaep > 1g. > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > From: > Penny Houle > > > 2a. > > Re: Phage Therapy > From: > publicspirit > 2b. > > Re: Phage Therapy > From: > publicspirit > 2c. > > Re: Phage Therapy > From: > publicspirit > 2d. > > Re: Phage Therapy > From: > Penny Houle > 2e. > > Re: Phage Therapy > From: > dumbaussie2000 > 2f. > > Re: Phage Therapy > From: > Jaep > > > 3a. > > Re: antibiotic... > From: > > 3b. > > Re: antibiotic... > From: > Penny Houle > 3c. > > Re: antibiotic... > From: > Barb Peck > 3d. > > Re: antibiotic... > From: > dumbaussie2000 > 3e. > > Re: antibiotic... > From: > Jaep > 3f. > > Re: antibiotic... > From: > Penny Houle > 3g. > > Re: antibiotic... > From: > > 3h. > > Re: antibiotic... > From: > Jaep > > > 4. > > Re: The importance of electrolytes > From: > Barb Peck > > > 5. > > Alternative thinking but ignores Dental issues unfortunately > From: > Wallace Kingston > > > 6. > > Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) may be related to lower urinary tract > From: > Mycoplasma Registry GWI & CFS > > > 7. > > Jed > From: > Jaep > > > > View All Topics | Create New Topic > > > Messages > > > > 1a. > > > > new chronic ear infection finding > > Posted by: " " > usenethod@... > > > hodolog1ca > > > > Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:18 pm (PST) > > > > > >http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060712075834.htm > > > >' " Given that bacteria living in biofilms are metabolically resistant > >to antibiotics, this study makes a definitive, scientifically-based > >statement against the use of these drugs to treat children with > >chronic ear infections. It simply does not help the child and > >increases the risk of breeding more resistant strains of bacteria, " > >he said. > > > >' " Our findings demonstrate what we have suspected for years, that > >children with chronic otitis media have biofilms in their middle > >ears. Healthy children do not. The idea of treating recurrent disease > >with antibiotics therefore is not supported by the scientific > >evidence, " Dr. Post said. " Chronic middle ear infection is not the > >result of a sterile inflammatory process, but an indolent bacterial > >disease. Understanding that, we can now begin to explore more > >effective treatments for it. " ' > > > >Hmmm... such as...? How bout lots and lots of really well-chosen abx, > >all at the same time? > > > >'Dr. Post said future therapies may be medical, technological or > >biological in nature, including the use of probiotics – an approach > >in which children are deliberately populated – but not infected – > >with good bacteria that prevent the formation of biofilms.' > > > >I hope it works, but I am skeptical. More bugs, whether they take or > >not, arent going to get rid of the biofilms unless they do something > >thats untenable for the biofilm bacteria, such as radically change > >the pH. > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (7) > > 1b. > > > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > > Posted by: " " > usenethod@... > > > hodolog1ca > > > > Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:22 pm (PST) > > > > > > > I hope it works, but I am skeptical. More bugs, whether they take or > > > not, arent going to get rid of the biofilms unless they do something > > > thats untenable for the biofilm bacteria, such as radically change > > > the pH. > > > >Actually, perhaps I'm wrong. Its conceivable that the probiotic > >organism could hog the nutrient supply and slowly replace the > >pathogens. We shall see. > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (7) > > 1c. > > > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > > Posted by: " Penny Houle " > pennyhoule@... > > > pennyhoule > > > > Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:50 pm (PST) > > > > I agree. The part they always leave out in these revelatory >reports is the widespread " misuse " of antibiotics by doctors that's really >contributing to the problem. Rather than effectively using the right drug >for the right bug, their solution is to stop all abx treatment. Rather than >try to understand bacteria better or address the bio-films, they're just >throwing their hands up, admitting defeat, without even trying to do the >right testing and treatment. Can they possibly be this clueless? Or is >there some kind of brainwashing going on? I just don't get it. > > > > penny > > > > <usenethod@...> wrote: > > > >http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060712075834.htm > > > >' " Given that bacteria living in biofilms are metabolically resistant > >to antibiotics, this study makes a definitive, scientifically-based > >statement against the use of these drugs to treat children with > >chronic ear infections. It simply does not help the child and > >increases the risk of breeding more resistant strains of bacteria, " > >he said. > > > >' " Our findings demonstrate what we have suspected for years, that > >children with chronic otitis media have biofilms in their middle > >ears. Healthy children do not. The idea of treating recurrent disease > >with antibiotics therefore is not supported by the scientific > >evidence, " Dr. Post said. " Chronic middle ear infection is not the > >result of a sterile inflammatory process, but an indolent bacterial > >disease. Understanding that, we can now begin to explore more > >effective treatments for it. " ' > > > >Hmmm... such as...? How bout lots and lots of really well-chosen abx, > >all at the same time? > > > >'Dr. Post said future therapies may be medical, technological or > >biological in nature, including the use of probiotics – an approach > >in which children are deliberately populated – but not infected – > >with good bacteria that prevent the formation of biofilms.' > > > >I hope it works, but I am skeptical. More bugs, whether they take or > >not, arent going to get rid of the biofilms unless they do something > >thats untenable for the biofilm bacteria, such as radically change > >the pH. > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (7) > > 1d. > > > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > > Posted by: " Penny Houle " > pennyhoule@... > > > pennyhoule > > > > Wed Jul 12, 2006 5:08 pm (PST) > > > > Hasn't been the case with all the people I know doing >probiotics. Usually, the probiotics stop working after a while, which >indicates the organisms have developed even more resistance, or as reported >in one study, the infectious organism actually does some genetic swapping >with the probiotic and turns it into an ally. This doc doesn't have enough >information to make the kind of statement he's making. This kind of >unscientific assumption is what patients get beat up for by docs. Not to >mention, how many years behind the curve is he on this? > > > > penny > > > > <usenethod@...> wrote: > > > > > I hope it works, but I am skeptical. More bugs, whether they take or > > > not, arent going to get rid of the biofilms unless they do something > > > thats untenable for the biofilm bacteria, such as radically change > > > the pH. > > > >Actually, perhaps I'm wrong. Its conceivable that the probiotic > >organism could hog the nutrient supply and slowly replace the > >pathogens. We shall see. > > > >. > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (7) > > 1e. > > > > Re: new chronic ear infection finding > > Posted by: " dumbaussie2000 " > dumbaussie2000@... > > > dumbaussie2000 > > > > Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:38 pm (PST) > > > > > >well thought thru. They really need to put the infection under the > >microscope to solve it. > > > > > > > > > > >I pre loaded each day with 300mg/magnesium oxide/300 mg calcium, > >1/2 > > > >teaspoon table salt and 10 oz. V 8 juice. Then I took a lliter of > > > >gator aid with me. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > What does V8 Juice contain? > > > Where do I look for a source for magnesium oxide, calcium? > > > > > > >This convinces me that even healthy people do not take care of > >their > > > >electrolyte balance - > > > >and probably why the mineral/vit/salt therapies make people feel > > > >better - if helathy people are depleted- imagine how depleted sick > > > >people are. > > > > > > > > > > > Good idea > > > > > > /Per > > > > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (11) > > > > 5. > > > > Alternative thinking but ignores Dental issues unfortunately > > Posted by: " Wallace Kingston " > wpswallace@... > > > wpswallace > > > > Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:56 am (PST) > > > > Wallace > > > >Fourfold Healing Newsletter > >Exploring the Fourfold Path to > >Healing Jul/Aug 2006 > > > >Hello, > >The solstice has passed. The August meteor showers are approaching. > >The days and nights of summer are with us in the northern hemisphere. > >As we move through seasons, it is important to study nature and time. > >Our sicknesses result from forces and imbalances in the larger world > >in which we live. Studying the book of nature is a valuable approach > >to understanding this larger world and ourselves. > > > >In this issue, we take a look at AIDS and the HIV virus, with > >particular focus on the controversy in diagnosis, treatment > >and " therapeutic thinking. " Lowenfels has provided us with an > >analysis of research and diagnostic inconsistencies that sheds new > >light on our view of AIDS. > > > >I've also included reviews of two new books that I think you'll find > >quite interesting. And, of course, we have a delicious and nourishing > >recipe, a coconut-inspired treat from Prentice. > > > >Wishing you good health in the coming months, > >Tom Cowan > > > > > >Send newsletter feedback and comments to > > thomas_skye@.... > > > >If you wish to receive this bimonthly newsletter by email, visit our > >Sign Up page. > > > > > > > >IN THIS ISSUE: > > > > > >Focus: AIDS Therapeutics: Right Therapeutic Thinking > >My medical career has essentially spanned the same time frame as the > >AIDS " epidemic " . When I entered medical school in 1980, we began to > >hear of this new illness showing up in gay men in New York and San > >Francisco. When I graduated in 1984, many deaths had resulted from > >this mysterious new illness. By the time I finished residency, it was > >announced that the cause had been discovered, a major first step in > >the path to controlling this devastating illness. Even then, though, > >some things just didn't seem to make sense... > > > >Read on… Goethe urged physicians and scientists to be students of the > >book of nature. It is not enough to use so-called natural medicines > >or vitamins. Rather, it is the thought process that determines > >whether medicine is " natural " . > > " Right " therapeutic thinking involves the process of envisioning > >the human being as an integral part of the local and cosmic world. > >Right therapeutic thinking embraces the alchemical dictum of " as > >above, so below " as it attempts to understand the hidden processes > >that result in health and illness... > >Continue... > > > > > >Guest Report: HIV - The Untold Story by Lowenfels > >Of course you've heard about it: the fatal plague, spread by " unsafe " > >sex and blood, caused by the deadly virus called HIV. Anyone can get > >it. We've all seen the scary charts, cartoons, and photographs. This > >25-year old story is reinforced daily by doctors, celebrities, and > >the media. But is the full story being told? > > > >Book Reviews: Full Moon Feast and 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl > >Nourishing Recipe: Coconut-Date Energy Balls > > > > > >Other editions > > > > > > > >Focus: AIDS > > > >My medical career has essentially spanned the same time frame as the > >AIDS " epidemic " . When I entered medical school in 1980, we began to > >hear of this new illness showing up in gay men in New York and San > >Francisco. When I graduated in 1984, many deaths had resulted from > >this mysterious new illness. By the time I finished residency, it was > >announced that the cause had been discovered, a major first step in > >the path to controlling this devastating illness. Even then, though, > >some things didn't seem to make sense. > > > >Throughout my medical training we were taught that, with viral > >infections, two " arms " of the immune system get involved, the > >cellular and the humoral. The cellular immune system is based on > >white blood cells and rids of us of invaders by engulfing and > >digesting micro-organisms such as viruses and bacteria. The signs of > >activation of the cellular immune system include fever, mucus, and > >often rash, as the white blood cells digest and excrete unwanted > >foreign substances. The consequences of the cellular immune system > >are the signs of illness that we see and that make us feel sick. The > >humoral immune system is the memory part of our immune response. It > >is the part that makes antibodies tailored to specific invaders that > >tag and remember these substances. > > > >In the normal course of a viral infection, both arms of the immune > >system are involved. As an example, with chickenpox we see signs of > >activation of the cellular arm with the fever, mucus, cough and rash > >that characterize this illness. As with most viral infections, the > >signs of the illness are almost identical in type, if not in > >severity, across all people. In other words, chickenpox almost always > >gives the same type of rash, lasts the same length of time, etc., no > >matter who gets the illness. Next, the humoral immune system is > >activated, and six weeks later antibodies are produced which impart > >life-long immunity to the illness. > > > >With this new disease of AIDS, the interpretation of how the viral > >immune system works seemed to change. For the first time we were > >being told that, even though every case of AIDS was caused by the > >same virus, there were many possible manifestations of this viral > >disease. And, shocking to me at the time, I remember distinctly > >finding out that the diagnosis of the illness was based on a test > >that detected antibodies in the blood to the HIV virus. What?! I had > >been taught for years that when we produce antibodies to a virus, > >this means we are immune to that virus. Why now, all of sudden, does > >detecting antibodies to a virus mean it is the virus making us sick? > >For me, this would be akin to saying that the German measles virus, > >when contracted by adults, can cause a kind of arthritis. With that > >line of " logic " , when a middle-aged person comes in complaining of > >joint pains, we would do an antibody test, discover the antibodies > >(because the person did have German measles as a child) and then > >pronounce that it must be the German measles virus that is causing > >the illness. This is a mis-interpretation. We generally assume that > >the fact that we have antibodies mean we are immune. Why would it be > >different for HIV? > > > >Subsequently other unusual facts and diagnostic discrepancies started > >to emerge from the AIDS crisis. We were told that the HIV virus was > >contracted through sexual or blood born contact. This was not the > >first such micro-organism to have this characteristic. All sexually- > >transmitted diseases are, of course, transmitted only through direct > >sexual contact, including herpes, Chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and > >many others. However, unlike AIDS, all of these illnesses share the > >characteristic of being almost equally present in both males and > >females. With AIDS, at least in the US, for the first time a sexually- > >transmitted illness has stayed almost predominantly within one sexual > >group, that is gay men (over 90% of the deaths in the US have been in > >gay men). > > > >Additionally, with other blood-born illness such as hepatitis C, many > >cases are eventually found among the medical profession, due to the > >risk of inadvertently spreading the virus through needle sticks, a > >risk predominantly born by medical and dental workers. Inexplicably, > >with AIDS, as far as I know, only two dentists in the entire 25-year > >history of AIDS have contracted AIDS with no other risk factors (gay > >male, IV drug abuser, etc.). This, of course, might lead us to the > >question whether these two dentists were completely forthcoming in > >their answers about their risk factors. > > > >The final unusual diagnostic discrepancy of the AIDS epidemic was > >that over the years, numerous patients, supposedly numbering in the > >thousands, who were found to suffer from the full blown AIDS illness, > >had no detectable levels of antibodies in their blood. In fact, they > >had no evidence of any sort of having a viral infection, even > >antibodies, but because they had all the AIDS symptoms, it was > >assumed that they must have had the virus at least at some point. > >This was an unprecedented conclusion. > > > >Sometime in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the safe sex campaign > >began, and at the same time we saw as the introduction of the > >different categories of AIDS drugs, each supposedly targeting > >different aspects of the virus's life cycle. What was once considered > >an early death sentence became a manageable disease, albeit with many > >unpleasant and even life-threatening consequences. This brings us to > >the present, where the dire consequences of the AIDS epidemic > >predicted in this country have largely proved to be unfounded. Back > >in the 1980s we were told that unless a vaccine was quickly > >discovered, we were basically doomed as a species because the virus > >would quickly spread throughout the heterosexual population, as had > >other sexually transmitted diseases. Twenty-five years later there is > >no vaccine in sight, there have been rare illness in those without > >risk factors (i.e. gay men, IV drug use, co-existing other sexually > >transmitted illness, malnutrition, etc) and, even today, fewer people > >die of AIDS in this country than in car accidents or of alcoholism. > > > >But what about Africa? Don't the AIDS experts tell us that unless > >massive action is taken the HIV virus will soon wipe out the > >economies and viability of different cultures in many African > >countries? Again, some inconsistencies exist in these predictions. > >For starters, people in Africa are rarely actually tested for the HIV > >virus when they are either screened or diagnosed with AIDS. The > >cases, as in this country, almost uniformly occur in people with > >other risk factors for illness. These include the some of the same > >risk factors of gay male sex, IV drug abuse, malnutrition, co- > >existing sexually transmitted illness. But they also include the > >specifically African issues of TB, malaria, as well as many other > >unchecked infectious illness existing in people highly exposed to > >environmental toxins amid a huge burden of poverty and social unrest. > >As with most illness, if one examines the epidemiological data, the > >best conclusion one can draw is that the poorer, the more > >malnourished, the more exposed to TB, malaria, toxic waste, and > >social disharmony that a person or culture experiences, the more > >likely they are to get sick with AIDS. This is highly unusual way for > >a virus to behave, one from which we supposedly have no natural > >defenses. These and many other issues surrounding the AIDS > >controversy have been extensively documented in all sorts of sources > >over the past twenty years. I would refer all my readers to the book > >by Maggiore, What If Everything You Thought You Knew About > >AIDS Was Wrong?, the website www.virusmyth.org, and the article in > >the March 2006 issue of Harper's magazine about the inconsistencies > >of the AIDS-HIV connection and the problem with the HIV drugs > >(available online at www.harpers.org/OutOfControl.html). > > > >This is not a closed case. Many questions remain that need to be > >answered, and more to be asked. As we gear up to spend almost > >unlimited resources fighting this virus, it behooves us all to find > >out more about the facts behind this perplexing epidemic. > >(back to top) > > > > > >Therapeutics: Therapeutic Thinking > > > >Goethe (left), considered by many to be the father of modern > >scientific thinking as well as a great literary figure, urged > >physicians and scientists to be students of the book of nature. > >Modern, western-trained physicians generally put no stock in this > >dictum. Sadly the same can be said even for some who claim the mantle > >of " natural " or holistic health practitioners. It is not enough to > >use so-called natural medicines or vitamins. Rather, it is the > >thought process that determines whether medicine is " natural " . > > > > " Right " therapeutic thinking involves the process of envisioning the > >human being as an integral part of the local and cosmic world. Right > >therapeutic thinking embraces the alchemical dictum of " as above, so > >below " as it attempts to understand the hidden processes that result > >in health and illness. Rather than seeing isolated symptoms and > >addressing them with chemical medicines, surgery or radiation, the > >true natural practitioner tries to educate the person back to health. > >He or she does this through a radically different envisioning of the > >illness and the human being. For me, it is this step that will lead > >us into a new and more exciting approach to healing of both > >individuals and the planet. > > > >Let me try to illustrate this concept of right therapeutic thinking > >with a few examples. First, a relatively simple one: The most common > >illness that most of us will experience is the common cold, sometimes > >referred to as a viral infection. As we all know, the experience of a > >cold is often fever, mucus, a kind of cloudy feeling in the head, > >often followed by a cough, sore throat, congestion and bodyaches. > >Conventional medicine postulates that this illness is caused by a > >virus that invades our bodies and that will take time for our immune > >system to clear. Sometimes, if it is worse, it is said that this > >illness is the result of a bacteria that can then be cleared by using > >a medicine (antibiotic) that kills the bacteria. Most natural > >practitioners treating a cold claim that the same process is > >occurring, but that one can stimulate the immune system with such > >medicines as Echinacea or vitamin C. > > > >In right therapeutic thinking, a different approach is taken. We look > >for the process or observable events that occur. In this case, the > >overall picture is one of heat and " activation. " That is, even though > >generally we don't feel very active with an infection, there is a lot > >happening within our bodies. The tissues are red, the mucus is > >running, the lungs are coughing, the skin erupts. It's as if we have > >become a hot, frothing volcano, spewing forth increasingly toxic > >mucus. If we imagine ourselves in the context of nature, and in > >particular the seasons, unmistakably this would be a summer > >experience, for winter is the time of coldness and contraction as > >literally the greenness of the earth, the smells, flowers, insect > >activity; in short, activity and buzzing contracts down into the > >earth. In contrast, the summer is literally abuzz. Abundant smells, > >colors, tastes burst forth from the earth in the warmth and sunlight. > > > >In the context of the entire earth, the seasons are always in > >balance, which is the way the earth maintains its health. If the > >summer got too strong, or put another way, if the earth got a cold, > >then over time too much activity would be " breathed out " and the > >earth would sicken. The earth would become dry and barren if this > >exhalation weren't checked. The earth needs the winter experience to > >rest and recycle. > > > >How does the earth keep from being in an excess summer mode? One > >answer is that, soon after the height of mid-summer, as the earth is > >in full bloom, a shift happens, a shift that can actually be felt by > >very sensitive people. The meteor showers occur, which seems to bring > >about a shift in the activity on earth. Plants begin to die, fruits > >become seeds, and a coolness returns to the air. Meteor showers have > >been shown to contain a particular type of iron know as ferrum > >siderum (literally, meteoric iron). Thus right therapeutic thinking > >leads us to the conclusion that iron heals the earth from excessive > >summer. > > > >Right therapeutic thinking sees the same process happening within the > >human being. When we have a cold or a bacterial infection, our summer > >processes have become too strong. We need to tone down the volcano, > >rest and recycle. Within the human being, a surprisingly similar > >occurrence takes place. Our bodies also use iron to bind and > >neutralize poisons. An illness called porphyria occurs when the > >unbound protein part of the hemoglobin molecule cannot be bound to > >iron. This unbound protein literally poisons and kills us; if it is > >bound to iron, it serves as the basis of our ability to use oxygen. > >Iron also binds to cyanide to render it harmless, and on and on. We > >neutralize poisons by binding them to iron. When we become iron-poor > >or anemic, we become weak and susceptible to all manner of toxic > >influences, including viruses and bacteria. It should be no surprise, > >then, that a medicinal preparation of meteoric iron has been used for > >centuries to treat hot, eruptive illnesses that affect humankind. > > > >Delving deeper into the mystery of iron leads us to various > >mythological images. For instance, Saint in Christian > >folklore was considered the bearer of iron as he brought his sword, > >made from iron, down to earth to slay the sulfurous dragon > >(illustrated by Fouquet's 15th century painting, right). The > >dragon, of course, represents the spewing forth of heat, poison and > >all that is unclean. It is fought through the courage and strength > >that is represented by the iron sword of Saint . For the > >alchemists, iron correlates with the gall bladder and the planet > >Mars – the so-called red planet because it is rich in iron oxides. > >For those who practice right thinking, this is no surprise as the > >gall bladder is the organ that excretes poisons that have been > >processed by the liver. The bile flow is the mechanism of flushing > >out the mucus, pus and toxins, the markers of the hot, " infectious " > >illnesses. Bile flow is stimulated by bitters, which is probably why > >bitter herbs, e.g. goldenseal, have always been used in the treatment > >of sulfurous, " infectious " diseases. > > > >To turn to a more complex example, let us look at AIDS from the > >standpoint of right therapeutic thinking. Setting aside the still > >controversial question of whether AIDS is caused by the virus HIV, if > >we look at the phenomenon of the person with AIDS, one conclusion > >that we could draw is that the person seems defenseless. In > >particular they become defenseless to a whole array of ubiquitous and > >usually harmless micro-organisms. We all have yeast growing in our > >gastrointestinal tract, we are all surrounded by pneumocystis and > >many other usually non-pathogenic viruses, bacteria and fungi. But, > >uniquely, a person with AIDS has lost the ability to fight, not a > >particular organism, but virtually any micro-organism. > > > >This situation is perhaps unique in the history of humankind. I can't > >help but wonder whether something has changed in past decades with > >regard to our relationship with the whole realm of micro-organisms. > >This relationship with micro-organisms leads to the concept > >of " self " , of what is a human being. We are taught that we are > >autonomous beings who live within this skin, and that " self " resides > >within the skin. In fact, within this same skin live billions of > >others, a bewildering combination of named and unnamed micro- > >organisms. Without these friends living within us, we wouldn't > >survive the week. These organisms in our gut and every other orifice > >in our bodies digest our food, make vitamins (B12), maintain our > >mucosal linings in good repair (e.g. the gut wall), and make > >antibiotic-type substances that kill off more pathogenic bacteria. It > >is not so far-fetched to say that these others who live within us > >actually are our immune system. > > > >In the last 60 years, we have waged war on this " other, " forgetting > >that there is no self without our microbial friends. We pasteurize > >our milk, give antibiotics to our animals, vaccinate our children and > >use antibiotics that get rid of our protective inner friends. This > >war on our inner ecology has been both relentless and devastating to > >our ability to maintain that which we call self. It also, > >fundamentally, has thrown us off from our ability to properly imagine > >the world in which we live. Truly, there is no such thing as the > >isolated, insular self. Humans must be in community, first with our > >inner microbes, the wider community of minerals, plants, animals, > >other people, and finally the entire universe. The concept of the > >isolated self doesn't square with the reality of our basic > >physiology; it is the fundamental illusion of human existence. > > > >In a funny way, the AIDS phenomenon has been instrumental in re- > >awakening the value of community. As many people were dying of AIDS, > >the value of human care, hospice, networking, etc., gained a stronger > >hold in our culture. Seen from the perspective of right thinking, > >AIDS is a call to re-envision community, starting with the ecology of > >our own bodies. Starting with the Nourishing Traditions diet (based > >on the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon), we begin to knit > >together the fiber of community starting with our food. We learn how > >to care for our inner ecology as well as the ecology of our farms and > >land. This ecological approach to AIDS bears fruit not only for > >individual patients suffering from immune deficiency but also > >reconnects us with the larger issues at work in our culture that are > >the true " causes " of this phenomenon. > > > >In summary, I am not so much looking for new medicines or foods to > >treat individual illnesses, although those are certainly welcomed. > >Rather, I am searching for a new way to envision the human being and > >think about what is behind health and illness. Out of this > >envisioning will emerge specific therapies that hopefully will help > >not only individuals but the culture as a whole. Ultimately, our > >sicknesses result from the forces and imbalances in the larger world > >in which we live. Studying the book of nature is one approach to > >understanding this larger world. > > > >(back to top) > > > > > >Guest Column: HIV - The Untold Story > >by Lowenfels > > > >In this article I will take you on an introductory crash course of > >the HIV/AIDS controversy. I cannot possibly show you all the key > >points in a casual manner, but I will get you started on the journey. > >So fasten your seatbelts... > > > >What is AIDS? > >Of course you've heard about it: the fatal plague, spread by " unsafe " > >sex and blood, caused by the deadly virus called HIV. Anyone can get > >it. We've all seen the scary charts, cartoons, and photographs. This > >25-year old story is reinforced daily by doctors, celebrities, and > >the media. But is the full story being told? > > > >AIDS is not a single disease, but rather a syndrome – a collection of > >twenty-some-odd different diseases. The term AIDS was coined by the > >Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the late 1980s as a surveillance > >tool so that it could keep tabs on this mysterious syndrome, whose > >cause was then unknown. If someone tests " HIV-positive " and has one > >of these 20 diseases, then he or she is diagnosed with AIDS. Never > >mind that these same diseases can and do occur in HIV-negative > >individuals. > > > >In 1993, the CDC definition of AIDS changed. As a result, the number > >of cases doubled overnight, and AIDS quickly became a numbers game > >that now included people with no disease, yet who had fewer than 200 > >T-cells. Upon closer examination, one will find that that AIDS cases > >are reported cumulatively; this way, they appear to be constantly > >growing even when they are not. According to the CDC, AIDS cannot be > >reversed; once individuals have been branded with an AIDS diagnosis, > >they are medically stigmatized for life, even if they have recovered > >and are apparently healthy. > > > >The Dreadful Test > >The diagnosis begins with the gravitas of an " HIV test " , which is > >claimed to be 99% specific for HIV, yet really only tests for > >abnormal amounts of nonspecific antibodies. Those stigmatized > >as " HIV+ " simply have a higher level of auto-antibodies than what has > >been deemed normal, according to an arbitrary black-or-white > >threshold. A global standard is lacking, such that it is possible to > >test " HIV+ " in one country, and test " HIV- " in another. There are > >many diseases which demonstrably cross-react with the " HIV antibody " > >test, including tuberculosis, leprosy, and lupus. HIV proteins have > >been found in normal human placentae, not to mention everyone's blood > >when undiluted [1]. The auto-antibodies are ubiquitous, yet strangely > >are still called " HIV-specific " . > > > >In fact, " HIV " has never been properly isolated, which I will explain > >subsequently. Therefore it is ludicrous to claim that an antibody > >reaction against a protein of questionable origin is proof of > >infection with a deadly virus. To give such a diagnosis based on this > >uncertain test is medically irresponsible. " HIV " testing is > >psychologically harmful and should be used only for its original > >purpose, which was the anonymous screening of blood donations. > > > >How was HIV linked to AIDS? > >At an April 23, 1984 press conference held by Reagan's Health and > >Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler, Dr. Gallo of the > >National Institute of Health announced he had found the " probable > >cause of AIDS " . This claim came just days after Gallo's filing for a > >patent for the lucrative HIV-antibody screening test, a test that > >would be used to screen all blood donations in the U.S. and Europe. > >Yet two weeks passed before any actual scientific information was > >published. Mysteriously, that pesky word " probable " seemed to all but > >disappear in the ensuing months. > > > >There is a story within a story here, which is notable but > >essentially a diversion: The legal dispute between France and the > >U.S., for the title of " discoverer of HIV " (Montagnier vs. Gallo), > >and corresponding royalty profits from the " HIV-antibody " test. > >Details of these allegations can be found in the investigation by > >Congressman Dingell [2], and a document called " HIVgate " [3]. This > >lawsuit was settled in a private meeting between Chirac and Bush, in > >which scientific history was literally rewritten to suit political > >means. Ultimately it doesn't matter who discovered what, since the > >entire " discovery " is based on a platform of faulty logic. > > > >Antibodies are Cross-Reactive in Nature > >An antibody is like a " key " that fits into a " lock " region on a > >protein/antigen. Imagine a master skeleton key that can fit many > >different locks. Conversely, imagine a loose lock that could be > >opened by several similar keys if wiggled just right. This is cross- > >reactivity. It is a gift from nature because it means that antibodies > >formed against one antigen later can be recycled against a similar > >antigen. > > > >Mathematical logic states that the greater the variety of antibodies > >a person has, the higher the probability they will bind to a given > >antigen. Therefore the more antibodies a person has, the more likely > >they are to test " HIV+ " . Because of cross-reactivity, it is > >impossible to deduce exactly which antigen the antibodies were > >originally formed against. Imagine putting three different acids into > >three kinds of milk, and trying to guess which acid curdled which > >milk. It is impossible. The only thing that can be proven is that the > >milk is curdled. Furthermore, it is impossible to tell when an > >antibody was produced, since they can persist in the blood for many > >years, if not indefinitely. > > > >Retrovirus-Hunting: A Remnant of the War on Cancer > >In order to understand the historical context, we must revisit the > >War on Cancer started by Nixon in 1971. Inspired by Peyton Rous's > >experiments with chicken sarcoma in 1911, virus-cancer researchers > >devoted unprecedented research funds into finding a retrovirus that > >caused cancer in humans. Twenty years later, after squandering > >billions of federal dollars, this project was closed due to complete > >failure. What remained was a smorgasbord of unemployed > >retrovirologists, with narrowly focused laboratory skills and > >thinking. If there was any successful research from the War on > >Cancer, which is questionable at best, it would be from Bob Gallo's > >lab, which made some mediocre discoveries of doubtful utility. > > > >A Brief Lesson in Retrovirology > >A " retro " -virus is named due to the " reverse transcription " of RNA > >into DNA by the enzyme reverse transcriptase (RT). Scientific dogma > >long held that DNA was always and only one-way transcribed from DNA > >into RNA, that is until the discovery of RT in 1970. At first it was > >wrongly assumed that the enzyme RT was an exclusive hallmark of > >retroviruses, and could be used as a footprint " surrogate marker " in > >lieu of an actual virus. But in 1971, it became well-known that RT > >was present in all forms of cellular life, namely as an essential > >part of the DNA repair mechanism (imagine DNA " band-aids " transcribed > >from RNA). Because this surrogate marker was now shown to be totally > >nonspecific, special rules for retroviral isolation were codified at > >the Institut Pasteur in Paris, under the supervision of > >retrovirologist Luc Montagnier. These rules included purification by > >centrifugal density gradient, and subsequent electron microscope (EM) > >photographs of the purified isolate from the 1.16 g/mL band. EM > >photographs are absolutely essential to show that the viral isolate > >is indeed pure virus and is not contaminated by debris from animal > >cells which could confuse the identification of viral protein. (see > >[4] for example photos) The bottom line is that many things may look > >like a virus, but only certain things actually are virus, and the > >rules are very strict about how to tell the difference. > > > >Gallo's Follies > >In 1975, Bob Gallo claimed to have discovered the first cancer- > >causing retrovirus in humans, which he named Human Leukaemia 23 Virus > >(HL23V). In the following months, his peers showed that this > >discovery was a farce; Gallo had not followed the Pasteur Institute > >rules and instead used only nonspecific surrogate markers. In order > >to " prove " which culture proteins were viral, he used an antibody > >test that was later shown to cross-react with ubiquitous cellular > >proteins. The scandal was a huge embarrassment for Gallo, who was > >quick to blame everything on accidental laboratory contamination. > > > >The point of this history lesson is that Gallo used identical > >evidence to claim his discovery of HL23V as he did for HIV. In fact, > >Gallo had a stronger case for HL23V than he did for HIV. This is > >because he could not find RT in cell cultures from AIDS patients > >until he combined the blood of ten different patients in what can > >only be called a " a real cell soup " . How can a virus that cannot be > >found in one person, magically pop out when mixed with the blood of > >nine others? > > > >To his " cell soup " , Gallo added HTLV-I leukemia cells and powerful > >oxidizing (cell-damaging) agents, incubated for several days, and > >fished out a handful proteins from the 1.16 band, which happened to > >show RT activity. No EM photograph of the purified 1.16 g/mL isolate > >was ever published by either Gallo or Montagnier. Every single > >published photograph was from an unpurified cell culture, depicting > >non-viral budding commonly seen in fetal umbilical lymphocytes and > >other proliferating cells. As codified by Montagnier himself at the > >Pasteur Institute, virus-like particles in an impure culture is proof > >of nothing. > > > >Gallo injected rabbits with these putative " HIV " proteins, which > >caused them to produce antibodies. He then extracted antibody serum > >from the rabbits, and mixed it with the blood of hemophiliacs and gay > >male AIDS patients. Because the rabbit antibodies formed against > >his " HIV proteins " reacted with the proteins in the patients' blood, > >he concluded that these patients must be infected with his virus. > >However without first properly demonstrating that the original > >culture proteins actually came from a virus and not something else > >(which requires an EM photograph), this rabbit trick is merely a feat > >of circular logic and cross-reactivity. > > > >As mentioned earlier, the more antibodies an organism has, the more > >likely they are to bind to any given antigen. At the time, > >hemophiliacs were regularly using unpurified blood products, as the > >genetic technology to manufacture monoclonal proteins was not yet > >invented. This exposed them to a wide variety of foreign antigens. In > >a similar manner, the gay men had been exposed to various antigens > >from all the lifestyle stressors they had encountered, including > >STDs, recreational/pharmaceutical drugs, and chronic infections from > >weakened immunity. > > > >Deceit Exposed > >Between 1990 and 1995, National Institute of Health and Congressional > >investigations took place regarding scientific misconduct in Gallo's > >lab. These investigations ultimately found the seminal publications > >on HIV to be " of dubious scientific merit " and " really crazy " (due > >among other things to pooling the blood of ten people). In reality, > >there has never been adequate proof for this " new virus " , and the > >HIV/AIDS theory is a house of cards built on a sham. The only reason > >scientists believed it in the first place is because Montagnier and > >Gallo conveniently left out the crucial details in their publications! > > > >In a 1997 interview, Montagnier affirmed: " I repeat we did not > >purify. " When asked if Gallo purified his culture, he replied: " I > >don't believe so. " [5] Also in 1997, the missing EM photographs were > >finally published in two separate articles by Bess and Gluschankof. > >[6] These photographs showed gross contamination by human cell > >membrane " microvesicles " .[7] > > > >Clinical Implications > >If the so-called " HIV isolates " are composed primarily of human cell > >membrane fragments, it begs the question whether HIV even exists at > >all, or whether people who test " HIV+ " simply have auto-antibodies to > >proteins from their own cells. That is exactly what has been claimed > >by dissenting scientists such as Dr. Heinrich Kremer, Dr. Alfred > >Hässig, and the Perth Group.[8] They have shown that the so- > >called " HIV antibodies " are actually formed against oligomers of the > >human cytoskeletal proteins actin and myosin, i.e. structural > >proteins that get exposed to the blood when cells die in an abnormal > >fashion (necrosis). This puts AIDS in the category of an autoimmune > >disease, which seems to be a good fit with both explaining disease > >progression and successful treatment. These researchers have shown > >how autoimmune syndromes can be triggered by various combinations of > >the five forms of oxidative stress: malnutritional, infectious, > >psychoemotional, chemotoxic, and traumatic. This points to AIDS as a > >multi-factorial phenomenon with unique triggers in each individual > >case, yet following a common degenerative pathophysiology. For more > >details on this biological aspect, I refer you to my recent article > >from the Townsend Letter[9], and the online library and FAQ at > >aliveandwellsf.org. > > > >What I have shared with you in this article is really just the tip of > >the iceberg. This subject is as wide as it is deep, and there is a > >wealth of information available on the Internet and in books. How far > >down the rabbit hole do you want to go? The choice is yours. > > > >References: > >1. www.robertogiraldo.com/eng/papers/EveryoneTestsPositive.html > >2. The Dingell Report: www.healtoronto.com/galloindex.html > >3. HIVgate by Janine : > >www.rethinkaids.info/documents/Africa/Janine%20%20-% > >20HIVgate.pdf > >4. www.healtoronto.com/emphotos.html > >5. Interview with Luc Montagnier, by Djamel Tahi, > >www.virusmyth.net/aids/data/dtinterviewlm.htm > >6. http://aliveandwellsf.org/library#microvesicles > >7. www.healtoronto.com/emphotos.html > >8. http://aliveandwellsf.org/kremer, > >www.virusmyth.net/aids/index/ahassig.htm, > >www.virusmyth.net/aids/index/epapadopoulos.htm, www.theperthgroup.com > >9. http://aliveandwellsf.org/articles/dfl_townsend_0606.pdf > > > >About Lowenfels: > > Lowenfels is a scientist, musician, engineer, yogi, and > >bodyworker. He holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and > >Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a > >Master of Arts from CCRMA at Stanford University. He began > >questioning the HIV=AIDS model in 1999. What drives him? " Here in San > >Francisco, I find it heartbreaking to see so many men who are visibly > >deformed due to their toxic chemotherapeutic battle against a > >hypothetical virus...these drugs are physically mutating people by > >causing genetic damage to the mitochondria and DNA. " > > > >(back to top) > > > > > >Book Reviews by Dr. Cowan > > > >Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection > >by Prentice > > > >2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl > >by Pinchbeck > > > >I don't normally review two books at once, but these, which seemingly > >have nothing in common, inspired me to double up this round. > >'s book is about food and the connection of food and culture, > >while 2012 is about the forecasted return to the earth of the > >legendary and perhaps mythical god Quetzalcoatl predicted to occur in > >the year 2012. Not much connection there? On deeper examination, > >these two books, both well written and fun to read, stimulate many > >questions about the current situation that humanity finds itself in. > >They both also delve into the subject of the nature of time. > > > > Prentice is someone I have come to know professionally over > >the past few years. She writes recipes for this newsletter; we have > >done many workshops together; she has cooked for one of our Fourfold > >Healing conferences; she is one of the founders of the visionary > >community supported kitchen project (www.threestonehearth.com); hosts > >the Wise Food Ways website, and is involved in many other food- > >related activities. is a master chef, skilled communicator, > >effective teacher and a true social visionary when it comes to food > >and culture. We now also know that is a very good writer who > >has provided a guide to help us choose and prepare the healthiest > >foods possible. Full Moon Feast is full of practical, delicious > >recipes along with sources for all the best foods in the Bay area and > >nation-wide. This book also contains the interesting story of > >'s evolution in her pathway to embracing the Nourishing > >Traditons/Weston A Price style of eating. However, what I want to > >focus on here is the full moon aspect of the book. Full Moon Feast is > >written as a series of thirteen chapters, each of which describes a > >specific season or time of the year connected to certain food-related > >activities that traditionally happened during that time of the year. > >For example, salmon run and therefore are available for catching at > >only certain times of the year. Traditional people celebrated this > >salmon moon with specific festivals, prayers, and activities that all > >relate to the movement of the salmon. describes these in > >vivid detail, then suggests creative uses for the salmon that are > >available at this time of the year. She does the same for the other > >twelve moons. > > > >What I think is so important and revolutionary about this book and > >its approach is that, by connecting local seasonal food with a new > >approach to our calendar, Full Moon Feast brings us not only better > >health but a change is our thinking. For example, why is it that our > >current time-keeping system and calendar is divided up the way it is? > >Why do certain months have 30 days, others 31 and one 28 (except > >every 4 years)? What do the names of our months relate to, why is > >January in mid-winter (except in the southern hemisphere) and July in > >mid-summer? What is behind these names and their connections to the > >seasons? I have no idea and, in fact, my guess is that there is no > >true reason behind many of these names and seasons. They are mostly > >arbitrary. In contrast, the moon when salmon return to earth connects > >us to real events happening in our natural world. > > > >Certain times are when specific events happen in nature, and if we > >are paying attention, these natural occurrences stimulate us to do > >certain activities with regard to food. We connect to the celestial > >world (moons), the animal world (salmon), the plant world (the corn > >moon – when the corn is harvested), and have a guide to understanding > >on a visceral level (food) where humans fit into the entire natural > >scheme of things. The importance of this is that there is a coming > >revolution, a revolution of re-connection, a revolution where the > >strategy of domination, where humans attempt to dominate nature must > >end. In its place, will come the strategy of connection, not only > >with each other, but with the grandeur and meaning of the world > >around us. This fundamentally involves a change in our relationship > >with time. We must move from understanding time as an abstraction, > >time as a commodity, time as our enemy to a relationship with time > >that is filled with meaning and connection. 's book is a > >valuable guide to getting us started on this strategy of connection > >in a deep and timely way with the world around us. > > > > Pinchbeck's latest book, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, is > >largely about time. Pinchbeck is a writer who has been investigating > >psychedelic drugs and changes in consciousness for a long time. In > >this current book he turns his attention to the Mayan prediction that > >in the year 2012 the end of an age is coming and a new age will > >commence. These Mayan predictions were all based on the precise and > >accurate study of celestial activity. In fact, Pinchbeck writes a lot > >about how the Mayan civilization, so advanced in many ways, was > >largely about exploring the relationship betweens humans, time and > >celestial events. In doing so, they were able to predict with almost > >startling accuracy many events, both outer events and events that > >relate to human awareness. > > > >When one's calendar is imbued with meaning, one's life is all about > >connection. When a calendar marks very specific, observable and > >deeply felt celestial events, then humans can more readily find their > >places in the big picture. One of the main scientists Pinchbeck > >follows in this book is Arguelles who, in Time and the > >Technoshpere, has written that time is " mental in nature. " He writes > >that " our current calendar has trapped us in a feedback loop of > >accelerating de-synchronization. " When Pinchbeck asks > >Arguelles, " How important is it in your opinion that people switch to > >your thirteen-moon calendar? " Arguelles replies: " Only harmony can > >unify " and " Condition the mind to an irregular standard and the mind > >will adjust to disorder and chaos as normal aspects of existence. Our > >civilization is based on false time, and artificial time has run out > >for humanity. " > > > >Pinchbeck examines crop circles, the work of Rudolf Steiner, > >psychedelic plants, ancient cultures, and much more in a fascinating > >look at the relationship that some of our most profound thinkers have > >drawn between time and human thought and consciousness. In reading > >this book, my guess is that your theory of time and the possible > >coming changes at the deepest levels of our culture will be altered. > > > >We all know that " things can't go on like this forever " . There is too > >much pollution, too much waste, too much global-warming, too much > >hatred, too much killing, too much going wrong. 2012 gives some > >perspective on how we got here and some insight on what needs to > >happen to change our understanding of time and its connection to > >culture. Full Moon Feast gives some practical and fun strategies for > >implementing these changes in you own life. > > > >(back to top) > > > > > >Nourishing Recipe > > > >A Recipe from Prentice - > >Coconut-Date Energy Balls > > > >I love these little balls – they are sweet without being too sweet, > >and are rich with coconut meat and coconut oil. I store them in a > >cookie tin and sometimes bring them in the car with me when I know > >I'm going to be running around doing errands or other busy-ness. > >Their balance of good fats with natural sugars means they give both > >an immediate lift but also sustained energy until the next real meal > >can be had. They also make a nice sweet for after a meal, a good > >snack during a meeting, or a welcome addition to a lunchbox. They are > >great for kids to both roll and eat! They need to be kept cool or > >they will soften or melt. > > > >Ingredients: > > > >1 cup date paste or 1 1/2 cups pitted dates > >1/2 cup coconut spread (available from Wilderness Family Naturals) > >3 Tablespoons coconut oil > >1/4 cup dried coconut plus more for rolling the balls in > >Optional: zest of a lemon or small orange. > > > >Procedure: > > > >In a food processor, process the date paste or dates for a few > >seconds or a minute or so. If using dates, they should be processed > >into a chunky paste. > >Add the coconut spread (and the optional zest, if using) and pulse a > >few times until the two ingredients are mixed. > >Melt one tablespoon of coconut oil in a very small pan, and then > >start the processor and pour the melted oil in through the top while > >the processor is running. Add the 1/4 cup sundried coconut and > >process for 5 or 10 seconds more. Then turn off the processor. > >Remove the blade and then the processor bowl from the processor. You > >can either leave your mixture in there and work from that, or > >transfer the paste to another bowl to work from. > >Put on some good music or a book on tape, or get a friend to help > >you, or call up a friend so that you can chat while you roll the > >balls. This is a repetitive and mindless task and though it > >shouldn't take more than 20 minutes, it's nice to have a > >distraction. Or you could be very zen about it and focus entirely on > >the task! > >To roll the balls, pick up a very small handful of paste and press it > >in your hand. It should stick together. Then take the paste and > >press and roll it into a little ball, about one inch in diameter. > >Put the balls on a plate as you roll them. > >When you have finished rolling all the balls, melt the remaining 2 > >tablespoons of coconut oil and remove from heat. > >Now take each ball and do this: put it in the little pan with the > >melted coconut oil. Shake the little pan so that the ball gets > >covered with coconut oil. Take the warm oiled ball and immerse it in > >the dried coconut flakes so that it gets covered with coconut. I do > >this by just putting the ball into the bag of freeze-dried coconut > >and rolling it around. Put the ball back onto a clean plate or > >straight into a cookie tin. Repeat with all the balls until they are > >all covered with coconut. Store in a cool place and eat as desired! > > > > Prentice is both a professional chef and a passionate home > >cook. She currently conducts cooking classes, writes a monthly New > >Moon Newsletter on her Wise Food Ways website, and offers monthly > >Full Moon Feasts in the Bay Area. She is a Bay Area chapter head for > >the Weston A. Price Foundation for wise traditions in food, farming, > >and the healing arts. Her new book, Full Moon Feast, is about food > >and culture and will be available this spring from Chelsea Green > >Publishing. © 2006 Prentice > > > >I > > > >We welcome your comments. Send feedback to Dr. Cowan at > >thomas_skye@.... > > > >If you wish to receive this bimonthly newsletter by email, visit our > >Sign Up page. > > > >Fourfold Path to Healing Newsletter © 2005-6 by S. Cowan, MD. > >Not to be reproduced without permission. > >Material included in this newsletter is for informational purposes > >only and is in no way intended to replace consultation with a medical > >practitioner. > > > >Home About Dr Cowan Ask the Doctor Newsletter Resources Contact Us > > > >© 2004-2006 by S. Cowan, M.D. All rights reserved. > >Artwork and illustrations from The Fourfold Path to Healing by Kim > >Waters. > >Information on this website is for informational purposes only and is > >in no way intended to replace consultation with a medical > >practitioner. > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (1) > > > > 6. > > > > Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) may be related to lower urinary tract > > Posted by: " Mycoplasma Registry GWI & CFS " > mycoreg@... > > > mycoreg > > > > Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:50 am (PST) > > > > Recommendations for PCR tests and/or culture for the following > >pathogens found in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) > >and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), > >Sjögren's syndrome (SS), Graves disease, autoimmune diseases as well > >as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Gulf War Syndrome: > > > >Mycoplasma hominis > >Mycoplasma genitalium > >Ureaplasma urealyticum > >Escherichia coli > >Gardnerella vaginalis > >Streptococcus agalactiae > >Chlamydia trachomatis > > > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > >MYCOPLASMA REGISTRY REPORTS > >for gulf war syndrome & chronic fatigue syndrome > >© 2006 Dudley & Leslee Dudley. All rights reserved. > ><MycoplasmaRegistry/> > ><MycoplasmaRegistry-subscribe > > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Rheumatoid Arthritis May Be Related To Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms > >(LUTS) > >By Philip M. Hanno MD, MPH > >Medical News Today (press release) - UK - July 10,2006 > >http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=46693 > > > >Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome > >(SS), and Graves disease > >are reported to be associated with an increased severity of LUTS > >compared with control populations. Peeler's recent report that in a > >survey of 222 patients with interstitial cystitis, RA was the second > >most common IC-associated disease, occurring in more than 13% of his > >patients (Scand J Urol Nephrol 37:60-63, 2003), stimulated Lee and > >colleagues to look for a relationship between RA and LUTS. > > > >Urinary symptoms, including IC-like symptoms, were investigated in a > >cohort of patients with RA. Results were compared with a group of age- > >matched controls. Patients with urinary tract infection and those on > >medications that could induce oral or ocular dryness were excluded > >from the analysis. One hundred eighty-nine patients were compared > >with 679 controls. AUA symptom scores and percentage of individuals > >reporting severe LUTS (AUA score >20) were similar in both groups. > >Likewise, there was no significant difference in patients reporting > >IC-like symptoms as per the O'Leary Sant Interstitial Cystitis > >Symptom Index. Multivariate regression analysis did reveal that SS > >was significantly correlated with severe LUTS as per the AUA Symptom > >Index. There was a trend toward a higher score on the O'Leary Sant > >Symptom Index in patients with SS, but this did not reach statistical > >significance. > > > >The authors conclude that RA does not by itself predispose to > >increased severity of LUTS. Patients with secondary SS do have more > >severe LUTS. This is an excellent study. One wonders whether some > >symptoms suggestive of PBS/IC may have been masked by treatment for > >RA that was ongoing in these patients. > > > >Reference: Scand J Rheumatol 35:96-101, 2006 > >http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi? > >db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=Abstract & list_uids=16641041 & query_hl=4 & ito > >ol=pubmed_DocSum > >UroToday - the only urology website with original content written by > >global urology key opinion leaders actively engaged in clinical > >practice. To access the latest urology news releases from UroToday, > >go to: http://www.urotoday.com > >Copyright © 2006 - UroToday > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Lower urinary tract symptoms in female patients with rheumatoid > >arthritis. > >Lee KL, Chen MY, Yeh JH, Huang SW, Tai HC, Yu HJ. > >Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital > >and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. > >Scand J Rheumatol. 2006 Mar-Apr;35(2):96-101. > > > >OBJECTIVE: Patients with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus > >erythematosus (SLE) and Sjogren's syndrome (SS) are associated with > >an increased severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). > >Recent surveys also reveal that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is > >prevalent in patients with interstitial cystitis (IC). Therefore, we > >have investigated LUTS in patients with RA. > >METHODS: A total of 198 female patients with RA, aged 40 years or > >older, from the rheumatology outpatient clinic completed this > >prospective study. The American Urological Association Symptom > >Index (AUASI) score was used to assess the severity of LUTS and the > >O'Leary-Sant Symptom Index (ICSI) was used to evaluate IC-like > >urinary symptoms in these patients, which were compared to those of > >679 age-matched controls. The possible associations of clinical > >parameters with LUTS were also explored. > >RESULTS: The Mean AUASI score and the percentage of individuals > >reporting severe LUTS (AUASI score > or = 20) or IC-like urinary > >symptoms (ICSI score > or = 12) showed no significant differences > >between the RA and control groups. However, in the RA group > >multivariate regression analyses identified patients with secondary > >SS (n = 21) to be associated with a significantly higher AUASI score > >(p = 0.007) and a higher percentage of severe LUTS (p = 0.02); these > >were also significantly higher than those of the control group (p = > >0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). > >CONCLUSION: Patients with RA have similar urinary complaints when > >compared to controls. However, those with secondary SS have a greater > >severity of LUTS, a finding similar to that observed in patients with > >primary SS. > >PMID: 16641041 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > > > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >[Role of bacteria associated with sexually transmitted infections in > >the etiology of lower urinary tract infection in primary care] > >[Article in Spanish] > >-Pedraza A, Ortiz C, Mota R, Davila R, Dickinson E. > >Centro de Salud Dr. Castro Villagrana. Tlalpan. Mexico. > >silviala@... > >Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2003 Feb;21(2):89-92. > > > >INTRODUCTION: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the second most > >frequent type of infectious pathology treated in primary care > >clinics. The participation of microorganisms associated with sexually > >transmitted infection has been reported as a cause of UTI; > >nevertheless this concept is still controversial. To gather data on > >this subject, we carried out a search for Gardnerella vaginalis, > >Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and Streptococcus > >agalactiae besides the common microorganisms involved in > >UTI. METHODS: A total of 1507 urine cultures from patients with a > >clinical diagnosis of low UTI were analyzed. Samples were inoculated > >onto 5% sheep blood agar and McConkey agar, as well as HBT medium for > >G. vaginalis, and U9B broth and agar E broth for M. hominis and U. > >urealyticum.The following parameters were analyzed as possible risk > >factors: age, sex, pregnancy and diabetes status. > >RESULTS. There were 436 (28.9%) positive urine cultures. Escherichia > >coli was isolated in 44.34% of cases. Microorganisms associated with > >sexually transmitted disease were found in 162 (37%): G. vaginalis > >(25.7%), U. urealyticum (5.9%), S. agalactiae (3.4%) and M. hominis > >(2%). UTI were more frequent among the 20 to 40 year-old age group, > >in women and in diabetic patients. > >CONCLUSIONS: Microorganisms associated with sexually transmitted > >disease were found in a large percentage of cultures, indicating the > >need for studies to clarify their role in the etiology of UTI. > >PMID: 12586032 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >[Mepartricine and prostatitis. Clinical experience and rationale for > >use][Article in Italian] > >Minerva Urol Nefrol. 2001 Sep;53(3):129-33. > >Saita A, Morgia G, Branchina A, Giammusso B, Iurato C, Malacasa E, > >Motta M. > >Divisione Clinicizzata di Nefrologia Chirurgica-Urologia, Universita > >degli Studi, Catania, Italy. > > > >BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to report our experience on > >the use of Mepartricine in the treatment of chronic and sub-acute > >prostatitis and to analyse, on the basis of the literature, the role > >of estrogens, the target of Mepartricine in the development and > >maintenance of prostatic inflammatory reactions. > >METHODS: In a retrospective study the data of 110 patients who > >presented with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of > >prostatitis, from January 1994 to February 1999 have been evaluated: > >65 of this patients had an abacterial prostatitis, and 45 a bacterial > >prostatitis. The Mearers-Stamey test was used to localize > >inflammation and pathogens to prostate. The clinical symptoms > >presented were essentially pelvic and perineal pain and irritative > >and obstructive voiding symptoms. The treatment was based on > >antibiotic therapy indicated by the sensitivity to antibiotic assay. > >In abacterial prostatitis, in cases of Chlamidia, Mycoplasma and > >Ureaplasma positivity, the treatment was based on macrolides and > >tetracycline use. All the patients received Mepartricine by oral > >supply, 1 daily tablet (40 mg) for 60 days. > >RESULTS: After two months of treatment remarkable improvements in > >symptoms were obtained despite the persistent bacteriological > >positivity in the prostatic secretion in 68% of cases. Therefore > >antinflammatory antiedemic and decongestant effects of Mepartricine > >on prostatic inflammation, are observed. CONCLUSIONS: The data of the > >literature show data estrogens modulate inflammatory reactions: it is > >possible that their decrease can produce, at prostatic level, > >antinflammatory effects improving urethro-prostatic bladder > >functions. Personal experience seems to confirm this supposition and > >so we think that Mepartri-cine can be considered and excellent > >coadjuvant in the treatment of prostate inflammation, independent of > >etiology. > >PMID: 11723437 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Cytokine concentrations in seminal plasma from subfertile men are not > >indicative of the presence of Ureaplasma urealyticum or Mycoplasma > >hominis in the lower genital tract. > >Pannekoek Y, Trum JW, Bleker OP, van der Veen F, Spanjaard L, Dankert > >J. > >Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, > >Amsterdam, The Netherlands. y.pannekoek@... > >J Med Microbiol. 2000 Aug;49(8):697-700. > > > >The inflammatory response to the presence of Ureaplasma urealyticum > >or Mycoplasma hominis in the lower genital tract of subfertile men > >without any signs or symptoms of infection was investigated by > >measuring the concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumour > >necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in > >seminal plasma. Semen samples were collected from 30 culture-positive > >subfertile males and 23 culture-negative subfertile males. Enzyme- > >linked immunosorbent assays showed that IL-8 was present in > >relatively high concentrations (0.12-4.8 ng/ml) in all semen samples > >investigated. In contrast, the other cytokines were only detectable > >in 72% (IFN-gamma), 44% (IL-6) and 19% (TNF-gamma) of the samples and > >were present in relatively low concentrations (1-410 pg/ml). Seminal > >plasma cytokine concentrations were similar in samples from culture- > >positive and culture-negative males. These data strongly indicate > >that the presence of U. urealyticum or M. hominis in the lower > >genital tract of subfertile males reflects a silent colonisation > >rather than infection. > >PMID: 10933253 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Association of ureaplasma urealyticum with abnormal reactive oxygen > >species levels and absence of leukocytospermia. > >Potts JM, Sharma R, Pasqualotto F, D, Hall G, Agarwal A. > >Department of Urology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, > >Ohio, USA. > >J Urol. 2000 Jun;163(6):1775-8. > > > >PURPOSE: Ureaplasma urealyticum is a commensal of the lower > >genitourinary tract of many sexually active adults. The organism is > >more common in partners of infertile than fertile marriages. We > >conducted a prospective study at our tertiary care center to confirm > >a possible association between U. urealyticum and abnormal sperm > >function parameters. > >MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 50 consecutive male patients > >seeking general urology consultation for lower urinary tract symptoms > >characteristic of chronic prostatitis were evaluated. Urine and semen > >localization cultures were performed with additional semen cultures > >for U. urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma hominis. > >Specimens from 21 healthy men were used as controls. Specimens were > >analyzed by a computer assisted semen analyzer, and verified manually > >for concentration, percent motility and morphology. Leukocytospermia > >was measured by the Endtz test. Semen specimens were also analyzed > >for reactive oxygen species (ROS), acrosome reaction and mannose > >binding assay. RESULTS: Of the patients 17 had positive U. > >urealyticum cultures and the other cultures were negative. Patients > >with U. urealyticum had significantly higher ROS levels (log [ROS + > >1] = 2.52 +/- 0.25) than those without U. urealyticum (1.49 +/- 0.20, > >p = 0.002) or controls (1.31 +/- 0.19, p = 0.002). Leukocytospermia > >was detected in only 1 of the 17 (6%) positive specimens and 4 (12%) > >negative specimens. > >CONCLUSIONS: Seminal ROS levels are elevated among patients with U. > >urealyticum. ROS induces lipid peroxidation, which reduces membrane > >fluidity and sperm fertilization capability, and may be the mechanism > >by which U. urealyticum impairs sperm function. Absence of > >leukocytospermia does not exclude U. urealyticum. > >PMID: 10799180 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >A double-blind, randomized, controlled multicentre study to compare > >the efficacy of ciprofloxacin with pivampicillin as oral therapy for > >epididymitis in men over 40 years of age. > >Eickhoff JH, Frimodt-Moller N, Walter S, Frimodt-Moller C. > >Glostrup Hospital, Denmark. > >BJU Int. 1999 Nov;84(7):827-34. > > > >OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of ciprofloxacin 500 mg > >orally twice daily with pivampicillin 700 mg orally twice daily for > >10 days in men with acute epididymitis and over 40 years of age. > >PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprised 172 men who entered a > >prospective, controlled, randomized, double-blind, trial of > >pivampicillin and ciprofloxacin. The median (range) age of the 158 > >patients eligible for the efficacy analysis was 58 (41-85) years; 41% > >had previously had a urinary tract infection and 27% had previously > >had epididymitis. Only one patient had a urethral catheter and 38% > >were sexually active. About half of the patients were admitted to > >hospital. > >RESULTS: No bacteria could be cultured from samples in 53% of the > >patients; Escherichia coli could be cultured from 35% and the > >remaining isolates were the expected urinary pathogens. None of the > >patients had Gonococci and only one in each group had Chlamydia. > >Mycoplasma hominis was detected in three patients only and M. > >genitalium was detected in three, while Ureaplasma was detected in 24 > >(15%). The treatment failed in 48 patients; in 15 of 76 (20%) > >receiving ciprofloxacin and in 33 of 82 (40%) receiving > >pivampicillin. This corresponds to a reduction in the risk of failure > >of 20.5% (95% confidence limits 6.6-40.2%, P=0. 006). The principal > >cause of failure was an unsatisfactory clinical response requiring > >changed antibiotic treatment in 27 patients; adverse events were > >responsible for failure in 14. The in vitro resistance of cultured > >bacteria was low in both groups, at approximately 4%. Adverse events, > >mainly gastro-intestinal, occurred in 17 of 83 (21%) patients > >starting on ciprofloxacin and in 33 of 89 (37%) receiving > >pivampicillin (P=0.04). > >CONCLUSION: For epididymitis in men over the age of 40 years > >ciprofloxacin 500 mg orally twice daily is more effective than > >pivampicillin 700 mg orally twice daily. Furthermore, ciprofloxacin > >has a lower incidence of adverse events. > >PMID: 10532980 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Levofloxacin and sparfloxacin: new quinolone antibiotics. > > SJ, Meyer JM, Chuck SK, Jung R, Messick CR, Pendland SL. > >Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of > >Toledo, OH 43606, USA. smartin2@... > >Ann Pharmacother. 1998 Mar;32(3):320-36. > > > >OBJECTIVE: To discuss the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, spectrum of > >activity, clinical trials, and adverse effects of levofloxacin and > >sparfloxacin, two new fluoroquinolone antibiotics. > >DATA SOURCES: Literature was identified by a MEDLINE search from > >January 1985 to September 1997. Abstracts and presentations were > >identified by review of program abstracts from the Interscience > >Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy from 1988 to > >1996. > >STUDY SELECTION: Randomized, controlled clinical studies were > >selected for evaluation; however, uncontrolled studies were included > >when data were limited for indications approved by the Food and Drug > >Administration (FDA). In vitro data were selected from comparison > >trials whenever available. Only in vitro trials that provided data on > >the minimum inhibitory concentrations required to inhibit 90% of > >isolates were used. Data from North American studies were selected > >whenever available. > >DATA EXTRACTION: Data were evaluated with respect to in vitro > >activity, study design, clinical and microbiologic outcomes, and > >adverse drug reactions. > >DATA SYNTHESIS: Levofloxacin and sparfloxacin are active against > >pathogens frequently involved in community-acquired upper and lower > >respiratory tract infections, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, > >Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, > >Legionella pneumophila, and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Both compounds have > >enhanced activity compared with ciprofloxacin against most gram- > >positive bacteria, including enterococci, streptococci, and > >staphylococci, and retain good activity against most > >Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Sparfloxacin has > >greater anaerobic activity than levofloxacin, which is more active > >than ciprofloxacin or ofloxacin. Although many clinical studies are > >available only in abstract form, the clinical data demonstrate that > >these new quinolones are effective for most community-acquired upper > >and lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, > >gonococcal and nongonococcal urethritis, and skin and skin structure > >infections. FDA-approved indications are limited for both compounds > >to date. > >CONCLUSIONS: Levofloxacin and sparfloxacin have improved gram- > >positive activity compared with that of older fluoroquinolones, and > >are administered once daily. Sparfloxacin-associated photosensitivity > >may limit its therapeutic usefulness. Clinical trials confirm that > >these agents are as effective as traditional therapies for the > >management of community-acquired pneumonia, acute exacerbations of > >chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, urinary tract infections, acute > >gonococcal and nongonococcal urethritis, and skin and skin structure > >infections. > >PMID: 9533064 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >In vitro and in vivo antibacterial activities of AM-1155, a new 6- > >fluoro-8-methoxy quinolone. > >Hosaka M, Yasue T, Fukuda H, Tomizawa H, Aoyama H, Hirai K. > >Central Research Laboratories, Kyorin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., > >Tochigi, Japan. > >Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1992 Oct;36(10):2108-17. > > > >AM-1155 is a new quinolone with a wide spectrum of antibacterial > >activity against various bacteria including anaerobes and Mycoplasma > >pneumoniae. AM-1155 was 2- to 16-fold more active than ciprofloxacin > >and ofloxacin against Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin- > >resistant strains, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus > >pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis; its MICs for 90% of strains > >tested were 0.10 to 0.78 micrograms/ml. The activity of AM-1155 was > >comparable to that of ciprofloxacin against members of the family > >Enterobacteriaceae, Branhamella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, > >and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, but was fourfold less than that of > >ciprofloxacin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Against Xanthomonas > >maltophilia, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, and Campylobacter jejuni, > >AM-1155 was two- to fourfold more active than ciprofloxacin. At a > >concentration of 1.56 micrograms/ml, AM-1155 inhibited 90% of > >Bacteroides fragilis strains tested; its activity was 8- to 10-fold > >higher than those of ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Development of > >resistance to AM-1155 in S. aureus and S. epidermidis occurred at a > >lower frequency than did that to ciprofloxacin after eight transfers > >in the presence of drug. In the oral treatment of mouse systemic > >infections, AM-1155 was four- to eightfold more effective than > >ciprofloxacin against gram-positive cocci and was as active as > >ciprofloxacin against gram-negative rods. The efficacy of an oral or > >a subcutaneous dose of AM-1155 was two- to fivefold greater than that > >of ofloxacin. Against experimental pneumonia with Klebsiella > >pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa, AM-1155 was two- to fourfold more > >active than ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. AM-1155 also had good > >efficacy against mouse ascending urinary tract infections with > >Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa. These results suggest that AM- > >1155 may be a potent antibacterial agent applicable to various > >infections. > >PMID: 1332587 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Temafloxacin: an overview. > >Pankey GA. > >Ochsner Clinic, New Orleans, Louisiana 70121. > >Am J Med. 1991 Dec 30;91(6A):166S-172S > > > >Temafloxacin (6-fluoro-7-piperazino-4-quinolone) is a new > >fluoroquinolone with a 7-8 hour half-life and rapid gastrointestinal > >absorption. These characteristics make it an ideal antimicrobial for > >once- or twice-daily oral dosing. With the exception of the central > >nervous system (CNS), temafloxacin has excellent tissue and body > >fluid penetration and concentration. Temafloxacin has broad > >antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative > >bacteria, including improved in vitro activity against Streptococcus > >pneumoniae, Mycoplasma hominis, and anaerobic bacteria, including > >Bacteroides fragilis. Temafloxacin is as effective as beta-lactam > >therapy and superior to ciprofloxacin in the treatment of S. > >pneumoniae lower respiratory infections. It has been clinically > >effective when given in a short 3-day regimen for the treatment of > >uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Multiple clinical trials > >indicate that temafloxacin is also clinically effective, well > >tolerated, and safe for use in adult patients for the treatment of > >other lower respiratory tract, genitourinary tract, and skin and skin- > >structure infections. > >PMID: 1662889 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Antenatal microbiologic and maternal risk factors associated with > >prematurity. > >Comment in: Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1991 Aug;165(2):485-6. > >McGregor JA, French JI, Richter R, Franco-Buff A, A, Hillier > >S, Judson FN, Todd JK. > >Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado > >Health Sciences Center, Denver 80262. > >Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1990 Nov;163(5 Pt 1):1465-73. > > > >In a prospective study of 202 women (gestational age 24 +/- 4 weeks), > >we evaluated possible influences of lower genital tract infection or > >bacterial conditions on obstetric outcomes, including preterm labor, > >preterm premature rupture of membranes, and preterm birth. The > >presence of bacterial vaginosis (18.7%) was associated with an > >increased risk of preterm labor (relative risk, 2.6; 95% confidence > >interval, 1.08 to 6.46). For women with bacterial vaginosis who also > >had Mobiluncus species morphotypes identified on Gram stain, the > >relative risk of preterm labor was 3.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.32 > >to 11.5). Presence of vaginal Mycoplasma hominis (10.8% of patients) > >was associated with both preterm labor (relative risk, 1.8; 95% > >confidence interval, 0.77 to 4.4) and preterm birth (relative risk, > >5.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.45 to 17.9). Recovery of > >Staphylococcus aureus (3.0%) was associated with preterm labor > >(relative risk, 3.1; 95% confidence interval 1.12 to 8.7). > >Identification of two or more bacterial-linked abnormalities was also > >associated with preterm labor (relative risk, 3.3; 95% confidence > >interval, 1.44 to 7.58). An increased level of vaginal wash protease > >(greater than or equal to 10 trypsin units) (16%) was associated with > >preterm labor and was noted in 50% of women with preterm premature > >rupture of membranes. A history of prior preterm birth was the single > >best historical predictor of both preterm labor (relative risk, 3.6; > >95% confidence interval, 1.92 to 6.83) and preterm birth (relative > >risk, 6.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.2 to 20.4). History of three or > >more abortions, antenatal urinary tract infection, and occurrence of > >medical complications during pregnancy also correlated with increased > >risk of preterm labor. These findings affirm and refine associations > >of various maternal reproductive tract infections with preterm labor, > >premature rupture of membranes, and birth, allowing for controlled > >treatment trials aimed at prevention of preterm birth. > >PMID: 2240089 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Ureaplasmas and mycoplasmas in chimpanzees of various breeding > >capacities. > >- D, Barile MF, Furr PM, Graham CE. > >Division of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Clinical Research Centre, > >Harrow, Middlesex, U.K. > >J Reprod Fertil. 1987 Sep;81(1):169-73. > > > >Adult chimpanzees (24 male, 76 female) with low and high rates of > >conception were examined for ureaplasmas, arginine-metabolizing > >mycoplasmas and chlamydiae. Ureaplasmas were isolated from the throat > >of only 1 male and 1 female animal, but from the urethra of 29% of > >the males and from the vagina of 95% of the females. Mycoplasmas were > >isolated from the throat more often than were ureaplasmas, but from > >the genital tract with about the same frequency as ureaplasmas. The > >numbers of organisms, of either type, isolated from the vagina were > >larger than the numbers isolated from the male urethra. Chlamydiae > >were not isolated from any animal. The occurrence of ureaplasmas and > >mycoplasmas and the numbers of these organisms isolated were similar > >in animals with low or high rates of conception. Furthermore, no > >association was noted between the organisms in the lower genital > >tract and the occurrence of abortion and/or stillbirth. > >PMID: 3668947 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Pathogenesis and significance of urogenital mycoplasmal infections. > >Cassell GH, JK, Waites KB, Rudd PT, Talkington D, Crouse D, > >Horowitz SA. > >Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama School of Medicine, > >Birmingham, Alabama 35294. > >Adv Exp Med Biol. 1987;224:93-115. > > > >U. urealyticum and M. hominis can no longer be considered as harmless > >commensals of the lower genitourinary tract. Both can produce disease > >in humans. Diagnosis and management of infections due to these > >organisms must be based upon isolation of the organisms from the > >affected site and preferably the number of organisms present. Due to > >the frequent resistance of both organisms to tetracycline, treatment > >must be based upon appropriate antibiotic sensitivities. For a more > >detailed description of the basic biology of these organisms and > >isolation and identification and treatment, the reader is referred to > >several recent reviews. > >Publication Types: Review > >PMID: 3329816 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Leukocyte esterase activity in the rapid detection of urinary tract > >and lower genital tract infections in obstetric patients. > >Abbasi IA, Hess LW, TR, McFadden E, Chernow B. > >Am J Perinatol. 1985 Oct;2(4):311-3. > > > >Infections of the vagina and urinary tract are important problems for > >the obstetrician. Examination of the vaginal discharge and urine for > >the presence of leukocytes is an important part of the evaluation for > >vaginitis and urinary tract infections. Neutrophils contain several > >esterases that are not present in serum, urine, or vaginal > >secretions. These esterases are not influenced by bacteria, commonly > >used drugs, or variable compositions of urine or vaginal secretions. > >A prospective study was performed to assess the sensitivity and > >specificity of leukocyte esterase activity as measured by dipstick > >(Chemstrip 9, Biodynamics) for the prediction of vaginitis and > >urinary tract infections during pregnancy. Results were compared with > >those obtained from potassium hydroxide smears, wet preps, and urine > >cultures. The vaginal discharge and urine of 65 patients was tested > >for leukocyte esterase activity on their initial OB visit. Leukocyte > >esterase was 100% sensitive and 100% specific for detecting urinary > >tract infections. It was 100% sensitive and 90% specific for > >predicting vaginal infections. Trichomonas infections accounted for > >the positive leukocyte esterase results when the urine culture was > >negative. On the basis of this study we believe that leukocyte > >esterase activity is sufficiently sensitive and specific to permit > >use of this test as a rapid and inexpensive screening procedure for > >vaginitis and urinary tract infections. > >PMID: 4052183 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Chlamydia, mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas, and yeasts in the lower genital > >tract of females. Comparison between a group attending a venereal > >disease clinic and a control group. > >Moller BR, Sparre nsen A, From E, Stenderup A. > >Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1985;64(2):145-9. > > > >162 women were investigated. Group I consisted of 85 women, who were > >partners to men with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) or presented > >macroscopic signs of cervicitis; patients who had harbored Neisseria > >gonorrhoeae were excluded from the study. Group II was a control > >group of 77 women without any complaints from the urogenital tract > >and with normal findings at pelvic examination. > >All the women were tested for infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, > >Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Candida albicans. > >In group I, chlamydiae and mycoplasmas were recovered in 44% and 36%, > >respectively, the corresponding figures for the control group (group > >II) being 5% and 19%. The difference is highly significant. No such > >difference between the two groups was found for ureaplasmas. Sixteen > >percent of the patients in group I were positive for C. albicans; 12% > >were positive in group II. Fifty per cent of asymptomatic NGU- > >partners were chlamydia-positive, and about one-third of patients > >with either dysuria or vaginal discharge harbored the organism. No > >difference in the isolation frequency of mycoplasmas was observed > >between asymptomatic partners to male NGU carriers and women with > >increased vaginal discharge, whereas the organism was isolated more > >frequently from patients with dysuria. Fifty-nine per cent of > >patients with cervicitis were chlamydia-positive, compared with 30% > >of patients with normal cervical appearance and normal vaginal > >discharge. > >Samples obtained from the cervix were more often positive than > >samples from the urethra. In conclusion, if samples can be taken from > >only one of the two sites in patients with lower genital tract > >infection, the cervix is the optimal sampling site. > >PMID: 3885669 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Occurrence and pathogenicity of Mycoplasma hominis in the upper > >urinary tract: a review. > >Thomsen AC. > >Sex Transm Dis. 1983 Oct-Dec;10(4 Suppl):323-6. > > > >In two studies Mycoplasma hominis was isolated from the upper urinary > >tracts of seven of 80 patients with symptoms of acute pyelonephritis > >(is a bacterial infection of the kidney) and three of 18 patients > >with signs of acute exacerbation of chronic pyelonephritis. M. > >hominis was not recovered from the upper urinary tract of 22 patients > >with chronic pyelonephritis without acute exacerbation or from 60 > >patients with noninfectious urinary tract disease. In an additional > >study, specimens were cultured from patients with antibodies to M. > >hominis in urine. All of these patients had acute pyelonephritis; M. > >hominis was isolated from the upper urinary tract of seven patients. > >Thus, M. hominis was cultured from the upper urinary tract of a total > >of 17 patients. No other microorganisms were recovered from 12 of > >these patients. The titer of antibody to M. hominis significantly > >increased or decreased in the serum of 13 patients, and antibodies > >were demonstrated in the urine of nine. These results suggest that M. > >hominis may be a cause of acute pyelonephritis in humans; the > >organism is estimated to account for approximately 5% of such cases. > >The clinical signs of infection in the patients studied were subtle, > >and the symptoms did not involve the lower urinary tract. The > >diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis due to M. hominis can be > >established by culture of the organism from the upper urinary tract > >and its likely if antibodies are present in urine; in contrast, > >culture of M. hominis from catheter-collected urine or detection of a > >serum antibody response is not sufficient evidence for this diagnosis. > >Publication Types: Review > >PMID > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Association of genital mycoplasmas with exudative vaginitis in a 10 > >year old (who had been sexually molested) : a case of misdiagnosis. > >Waites KB, Brown MB, Stagno S, Schachter J, Greenberg S, Hemstreet > >GP, Cassell GH. > >Pediatrics. 1983 Feb;71(2):250-2. > > > >A 10-year-old girl with a 1-year history of lower genitourinary tract > >symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection but with numerous negative > >urine cultures was referred to the University of Alabama urology > >clinic after empirical treatment with multiple antibiotics failed to > >resolve her symptoms. An extensive urologic evaluation revealed no > >structural or physiologic abnormalities, but an exudative vaginitis > >was noted and large numbers of Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma > >hominis were isolated from the lower genital tract. Cultures for > >Chlamydia, viruses, and routine bacterial pathogens were negative. > >After initiation of tetracycline therapy, symptoms resolved and > >subsequent cultures for mycoplasmas were negative. In addition, a > >seroconversion was noted for M hominis but not for U urealyticum. > >Chlamydia serology was negative. > >It was later learned that the patient had been sexually molested just > >prior to the onset of symptoms. This case illustrates the necessity > >of early consideration of a mycoplasmal etiology in the patient with > >persistent genitourinary symptoms and no obvious bacterial pathogen, > >or in the patient whose condition is refractory to routine antibiotic > >therapy. > >Publication Types: Case Reports > >PMID: 6823429 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Chronic cystitis and urethritis associated with ureaplasmal and > >mycoplasmal infection in primary hypogammaglobulinaemia. > >Webster AD, - D, Furr PM, Asherson GL. > >Br J Urol. 1982 Jun;54(3):287-91. > > > >Six of 58 patients with primary hypogammaglobulinaemia developed > >chronic urethritis and/or cystitis. We have some evidence that this > >complication may be caused by infection with strains R of Ureaplasma > >urealyticum. This is important because ureaplasmas are usually > >resistant to most antibiotics routinely used to treat lower urinary > >tract infections. It appears that hypogammaglobulinaemic patients > >develop less localised and more severe ureaplasmal infections than > >immunocompetent subjects, which indicates that antibodies are > >important in controlling the growth of these organisms in the bladder > >and urethra. > >Publication Types: Case Reports > >PMID: 7104592 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Diagnosis of Mycoplasma hominis pyelonephritis by demonstration of > >antibodies in urine. > >Thomsen AC, Lindskov HO. > >J Clin Microbiol. 1979 Jun;9(6):681-7. > > > >To evaluate the diagnostic significance of the demonstration in urine > >of antibodies to Mycoplasma hominis, 1,000 samples of urine with more > >than 5 leukocytes per high-power field were serologically > >investigated by indirect hemagglutination, using glutaraldehyde-fixed > >erythrocytes coated with M. hominis antigen. The samples were > >collected from 702 patients. Antibodies were demonstrated in the > >urine of nine patients, all of whom had signs of acute attack of > >pyelonephritis. In seven of these patients, characterized by mild or > >moderate clinical signs and absence of lower urinary tract symptoms, > >bacterial causes were not observed, whereas M. hominis organisms were > >isolated from the upper urinary tract in most cases and from the > >bladder urine in all cases. In two patients, characterized by severe > >clinical signs and presence of lower urinary tract symptoms, both M. > >hominis and bacteria were isolated from the upper urinary tract and > >ballder urine. The demonstration of antibodies to M. hominis in urine > >is of high diagnostic value as they were only observed in patients in > >whom M. hominis infection in the upper urinary tract was evident or > >likely and only in the presence of clinical signs of acute attacks of > >pyelonephritis. > >PMID: 500801 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > >Microbial flora of the lower genital tract during pregnancy: > >relationship to morbidity. > >de Louvois J, Hurley R, Stanley VC. > >J Clin Pathol. 1975 Sep;28(9):731-5. > > > >Nineteen genera and groups of micro-organisms were isolated from the > >lower genital tract of 280 women at their first antenatal visit. > >Chlamydia, viruses, and T-strain mycoplasmas were not sought, and > >only routine methods of anaerobic culture were used. Growth was > >recorded as scanty, moderate or heavy. The population studied was > >grouped according to age, parity, gestational stage at booking, > >presence and degree of severity of lower genital tract morbidity, > >past history of vulvovaginitis, and suspicion of lower genital tract > >morbidity as evidenced by a request for a report on the > >microbiological findings. The frequency of isolation of the various > >microbes in health and in disease is given. The grading of Gram- > >stained smears bore no relation to the isolation rates of > >lactobacilli, but there was a significant increase (p less than 0- > >001) in the isolation rates of each of the following: Mycoplasma > >hominis, Bacteroides spp., Trichomonas vaginalis, Gram-variable cocco- > >bacilli, and anaerobic streptococci in those patients with smears in > >which lactobacilli were adjudged to be absent. The isolation of > >faecal streptococci was increased (p less than 0-001) in women aged > >more than 34 years. Escherichia coli (p less than 0-05) and anaerobic > >and microaerophilic streptococci (p less than 0-02) were isolated > >more frequently from those booking after the 25th week of pregnancy. > >The incidence of M. hominis (p less than 0-02) and of anaerobic > >streptococci (p less than 0-05) increased between the first and third > >trimesters. No significance positive correlations were established > >between the isolation rates of the various microbes and objective > >assessment of lower genital tract morbidity or the demonstration of > >pus cells, but lactobacilli were isolated less frequently (p less > >than 0-01) from those with morbidity. The isolation of Candida > >albicans (p less than 0-02), T. vaginalis (p less than 0-05), and M. > >hominis (p less than 0.05) was increased in patients in whom > >vulvovaginitis was suspected, and that of T. vaginalis (p less than 0- > >05) was increased in those with a past history of vulvovaginitis. The > >study indicates that, other than the pathogens T. vaginalis and C. > >albicans, only M. Hominis could be suspected, on statistical grounds, > >of being associated with disease of the lower genital tract during > >early pregnancy. > >PMID: 1100681 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] > > > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > >FREE BROCHURE: " How to Get an Accurate Polymerase Chain Reaction (PRC) > >Blood Test for Mycoplasmal and Other Infections-with a List of > >International Laboratories " © 2006 by and Leslee Dudley > >is sent automatically and immediately to all new subscribers. It is > >updated with current information and the new version is posted to the > >Mycoplasma Registry Reports & News list each month. > ><MycoplasmaRegistry-subscribe > > ><MycoplasmaRegistry-owner > > > > >FAIR USE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this > >material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a > >prior interest in receiving the included information for research and > >educational purposes. The Mycoplasma Registry has no affiliation with > >the originator of this article nor is the Mycoplasma Registry > >endorsed or sponsored by the originator. If you wish to use > >copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go > >beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright > >owner. > >* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (1) > > > > 7. > > > > Jed > > Posted by: " Jaep " > Jaep@... > > > paulvintage482000 > > > > Thu Jul 13, 2006 1:15 pm (PST) > > > > > > > >Jed , your mail still keeps bouncing , > >-- > >No virus found in this outgoing message. > >Checked by AVG Free Edition. > >Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.10/383 - Release Date: 07/07/2006 > > > > > > > > Back to top > > Reply to sender > | > > Reply to group > | > > Reply via web post > > > > Messages in this topic > (1) > > > > > > > > > New Message Search > >Find the message you want faster. Visit your group to try out the improved >message search. > > > > > > > > >Share feedback on the new changes to Groups > > > > > > Recent Activity > > > > 4 > New Members > > > > > > > 6 > New Links > > > > > > > Visit Your Group > > > > > > Need to Reply? > >Click one of the " Reply " links to respond to a specific message in the >Daily Digest. > > > > > > Create New Topic | > > Visit Your Group on the Web > > > > > > Messages > | Files > | Photos > | Links > | Database > | Polls > | Members > | Calendar > > > > > > > > > You are receiving a Daily Digest > Change Delivery Settings > > > Visit Your Group | > > Terms of Use | > > Unsubscribe > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ Quote
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