Re: Lyme, CMT, PN - CMT and the autoimmue system

[Guest guest]

I find the discussion on environmental neurotoxins and autoimmune

diseases interesting.

According to the book " Charcot Marie Tooth Disorders: A Handbook for

Primary Care Physicians " , there is a possible link between CMT and

auto-immune disroders. There is a section devoted to this topic in

the book. In my copy, it is covered in Chapter 10. The section is

titled " Immune System Defects or Auto-immune Overactivation in CMT. "

One medical study referenced alludes to the possibility that an auto-

immune disorder could destroy peripheral nerve myelin cells. That

suggests to me the possibility that some CMT patients could have CMT

triggered by an auto-immune disorder. As an interesting sidenote,

the doctor who wrote the chapter I have referenced here is a CMT

patient himself as well as a doctor who treats CMT patients. (Dr.

Lowell ) This book is available thru the Charcot-marie-Tooth

Association (CMTA).

There is so much we do not know about this disease. There are many

ways the myelin or axon cells in the peripheral nerves could be

damaged, based on the large number of different genes either

suspected or identified. Could there be an evironmental or auto-

immue triggers for this damage in at least some cases? It seems to

me the possibility exists.

In my own family's experience, I am intrigued by the possible

connection between CMT and auto-immune or hyper-immune disfunctions.

My daughter with CMT also has a history of being very resistent to

antibiotics. She has needed longer courses of antibiotics and

stronger antibiotics than normal to knock out various childhood

infections. In one case, she required the antibiotic Rifampin

(spelling?) to knock out an infection that resisted 2 or 3 other

antibiotics. The pediatrician told me that Rifampin was an

antibiotic used for infections like bubonic plague, tuberculosis,

meningitis - very powerful stuff. That is why personally I am so

interested in the possible connection between CMT and immune

disorders.

Ruth Warren

Raleigh, NC

> > namely a Bi-Digital O-Ring

> > Test, I am intrigued by this idea, but more

> > skeptical than anything else.