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May 7, 2001 Research Update |
James Bogash, D.C. Mesa, AZ
info@lifecarechiro.com
www.lifecarechiro.com
Reduced colonization by H. pylori in mice deficient in IL-10
This is one to really make you think! IL-10 is a Th-2 cytokine (the body's defense team, as opposed to Th-1 which is the body's attack team) that appears to increase the likelihood of an H pylori infection. Two things to consider here. First, today's medical choices (antibiotic use, vaccines...) skew the developing child towards a Th-2 dominant state. Next, it has been shown that early H. pylori infection, much like probiotics in the GI tract, helps to build up a health Th-1 system which can help develop a healthy immune response ( Entrez-PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11303969&dopt=Abstract. I've always said that I am leery of destroying H. pylori st because it is there and I do believe that this info supports my viewpoint. Could H. pylori, much like probiotics, be needed to develop a healthy, balanced immune system? Or, may an H. pylori infection actually be a sign of an already present unbalanced immune system? Synergy : Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 16 (4), 377-383 http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/Journals/content/abstracts/jgh/2001/16/4/abstract_jgh2459.asp?journal=jgh&issueid=5134&artid=98922&cid=jgh.2001.1&ftype=abstracts
Vit C, Peripheral Arterial Disease, Inflammation and Atherosclerosis
This article puts more weight towards the recommendation of Vit C as an integral portion of any program designed to lower your risk of heart disease. These findings are interesting in light of the article released last year that annouced that Vit C was responsible for an increase in intimal thickness of the carotid artieries. Circulation -- Abstracts: Langlois et al. 103 (14): 1863 http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/14/1863
Probiotics in primary prevention of atopic disease: a RCT trial
I must admit that I was about floored to read this title in one of the mainstream journals. Addressing the GI tract for skin problems has always been a mainstay for functional medicine. Probiotics for atopy definately falls within this sample. And, not only did this article appear, but it was in favor of probiotics. This article is truly worth reading (although probably not new news...) The Journal : Back Issues http://www.thelancet.com/journal/vol357/iss9262/full/llan.357.9262.original_re
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For further reading, a commentary on this article is an excellent overview... The Journal : Back Issues http://www.thelancet.com/journal/vol357/iss9262/full/llan.357.9262.editorial_a
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Many Patients May Be Incorrectly Diagnosed With Allergies
This author takes a group of patients who think that they have alleries and checks for IgE antibodies in response to certain allergens. According to his findings, patients who were found to not have IgE abnormalities must have been diagnosed incorrectly. I would have to note here that IgG4, delayed hypersensitvity, could well explain the patients report of allergic symptoms. Personally, I consider IgE testing as archaic, and rarely yields as much info as IgG4 testing.
Annual Meeting of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians In a patient cohort previously diagnosed with allergies, 65% of the patients tested negative for allergies in immunoglobulin E testing, according to data presented last week in Philadelphia at the annual meeting of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. This indicates that a significant percentage of the population "could be taking medications for allergies when in fact they do not have allergies," says Dr. Sheryl Szeinbach of Ohio State University College of Pharmacy in Columbus.
Breast Milk Offers Twice the Antioxidant Protection of Formula
I think the evidence supporting breast feeding is overwhelmingly in favor. I think the problem today is that many mothers are told to cease breastfeeding when certain symptoms show up in the infant: colic, skin rashes, diarrhea... In cases like these we need to evaluate the mother's diet and attempt to eliminate any foods from her diet that the infant may be sensitive to before we stop nursing.
Experimental Biology 2001 meeting Breast milk, even from mothers who deliver prematurely, contains twice the levels of antioxidants as commercial formula, according to a study presented at the Experimental Biology 2001 meeting. Dr. James Friel of Memorial University in St. John's in Newfoundland noted that the lungs and immune systems of premature infants are not as developed as full-term infants. Dr. Friel said, "That means that these infants are under attack by oxygen free radicals but lack ability to cope with that stress." The resulting oxidative stress is associated with respiratory distress syndrome, hemorrhage, eye disorders and various other problems. Earlier studies found that breast milk contains "antioxidant enzymes, but we thought that the levels of these enzymes may be greater in milk produced by mothers of premature infants," he said. Dr. Friel also hypothesized that colostrum "would be particularly protective." Dr. Friel compared milk from 28 women who had preterm deliveries to milk from 17 women who delivered at full term. The milk was collected at weeks 1, 2, and 12, he said. He tested the antioxidant protection potency by exposing all the milk samples to high levels of free radicals. The result was surprising. "There was really no difference in the antioxidant protection level from week to week. It was all good," he said. Likewise, "there was no difference [in the breast milk] between the mothers of premature babies and the mothers of full-term babies." Dr. Friel also attempted to enhance breast milk by fortifying it with more antioxidant enzymes. He also tried the same "fortification" with formula. He discovered that when he added antioxidants found in breast milk to commercial infant formula, "the formula offered better protection against free radicals. But when we added additional enzymes to the breast milk, it didn't increase the antioxidant protection of breast milk." He concludes that it is difficult to improve nature, but "commercial formulas could be improved so that they more closely resemble human breast milk."
Early Behavior May Point to Later Atopic Disease in High-Risk Infants
The authors to this article make a wonderful hypothesis at the conclusion by suggesting that gut microflora may play a role in this relationship. It makes much sense to think that an imbalance of intestinal flora (most likely following antibiotic therapy) could lead to symptoms of colic. These gut alterations could unquestionably set the stages for abnormal responses to allergens; i.e. atopy and allergy.
Arch Dis Child 2001;84:349-350 Much "fussing" and crying in certain infants may predict subsequent development of atopic disease, Finnish researchers report. Dr. Marko Kalliomaki of Turku University Hospital, and colleagues note that it is important to detect atopic disease in infants because it may lead to "impaired growth and subsequent development of more permanent manifestations such as allergic rhinitis and asthma." To determine whether behavior patterns in infants indicate impending atopic disease, the researchers studied 116 newborn infants who were considered at high risk for atopic disease. The subjects all had at least one close relative with atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis or asthma, and more than half (55%) had two or more such relatives. During two 7-day periods in the 7th and 12th weeks, parents recorded their child's behavior using a 24-hour chart and diaries. Items covered included whether the infant was awake and content, fussing or crying. Evaluation at the age of 2 years indicated that the 44 infants (38%) who developed atopic disease, showed "significantly more fussing during the 7th, and colic-type cry during the 12th week than those who remained healthy." Given these findings, Dr. Kalliomaki suggests that "excessive fussing and prolonged colic-type crying at an early age may predict manifestation of atopic disease later in early childhood." The investigators speculate that gut microflora could be involved and suggest that its modulation "might help prevent allergy" and reduce such fussing and crying during the first 3 months of life.
Antibiotic-Resistant Acne Vulgaris Becoming Problematic
Whenever a patient comes into my office and health history reveals severe allergies, GI complaints, PMS complaints...I will always ask back to any long term antibiotic use as a child--pneumonia, ear infections or acne. This long term use of broad spectrum antibiotics is devastating to our normal flora. In this study, researchers advise clinicians against using antibiotics for severe acne. Might I suggest high dose vitamin A, assessment for food allergies and probiotics instead?
11th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Antibiotics should not be used to treat severe acne, Swedish investigators said here on Tuesday at the 11th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Eva Borglund and associates at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm based their recommendation on the results of a study in which resistant Propionibacterium acnes strains were recovered in 28% of severe acne patients treated with antibiotics. The investigators detected resistant strains in only 6% of severe acne patients not treated with antibiotics. "P. acnes is thought to play a key role in acne vulgaris and especially in the pathogenesis of inflamed lesions," Dr. Borglund said. "While antibiotics have been used for the treatment of acne vulgaris for over 20 years and are still widely prescribed (mostly for moderate to severe cases), our results suggest that it may be worthwhile to re-think this practice."
Aberrant Immune Response Seen in Autism
I have seen many children diagnosed with conditions like autism, ADD and ADHD that begin the morning with enough sugar to stagger the mind. Many of these patients do not think for one instant that what a child eats can have an effect on the mental performance. I think this article illustrates nicely that there are alterations in some autistic children that can be either addressed or made worse by lifestyle choices.
Experimental Biology 2001 Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) produce higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines than children without autism, researchers announced Monday at the Experimental Biology 2001 meeting in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Harumi Jyonouchi of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and colleagues analyzed the immune responses of 83 children with ASD, between 2 and 17 years old, compared with a group of healthy matched controls. The researchers measured the levels of TNF-alpha, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 in the subjects before and after exposure to low doses of endotoxin. "More than three-quarters of the ASD children produced higher levels of at least one of the pro-inflammatory cytokines compared with controls," Dr. Jyonouchi told Reuters Health. These differences were evident both with and without endotoxin exposure, she added. The researchers also found that "75% to 80% of these children have T-cell reactivity to dietary proteins including soy, milk, and wheat," Dr. Jyonouchi said. "If their response to endotoxins is dysregulated, children with ASD may be predisposed to other adverse reactions to foods, bacteria, and vaccines, and may have an increased risk for autoimmune reactions," Dr. Jyonouchi explained. She noted that these children may also require a longer time to recover from such exposures. "This is scientific data supporting parents' claims that autistic children may get sicker from colds and flu and are more sensitive to dietary proteins," Dr. Jyonouchi said.