Re: Re: tired of this [blaming the immune system]

[Guest guest]

On Jan 8, 2007, at 10:17 AM, Barb Peck wrote:

> Kate.. how were the Immune SYstems boosted? With what?

That was the German Filgrastim article at lymenet.de -- Isabel

Diterich, Immunomodulation and new therapeutic strategies in Lyme

borreliosis, Dissertation (Dr. rer. nat.), Universität Konstanz, 2003.

(im Cache). I think it was you yourself, Barb, that called Filgrastim

an immune booster in your comment.

I am puzzled a bit by the article below. These patients did better

after they received IVIG ( " a novel treatment for pain " ), but the

authors don't seem to be considering that infection could be involved

at all. Wouldn't the IVIG have boosted their immune systems and maybe

knocked out something? It looks to me like they think they are just

manipulating which cytokines are being produced.

- Kate

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060726083452.htm

Source: Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Date: July 26, 2006

Lower Levels Of Anti-inflammatory Proteins May Contribute To Chronic

Widespread Pain

Science Daily — Chronic widespread pain, a common medical condition,

can be difficult to treat and is often associated with fatigue, poor

sleep and depression. A connection between fibromayalgia (FM) and

cytokines (proteins that act as messengers between cells) was

suspected after cancer patients treated with the cytokine interleukin

-2 developed FM-like symptoms. Since then, other studies have shown

contradictory results. A new study published in the August 2006 issue

of Arthritis & Rheumatism examined cytokine profiles in patients with

chronic widespread pain and found that they had significantly lower

levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10.

Led by Nurcan Üçeyler of Julius-Maximilians University in Wurzburg,

Germany, researchers analyzed cytokines in 40 patients with chronic

widespread pain (26 of whom had FM), 40 controls and an additional

group of 15 patients. The 40 pain patients had received intravenous

immunoglobulin (IVIG) as a novel treatment for pain that was not

responsive to standard therapy, while the additional 15 patients did

not receive this treatment. Blood samples were analyzed for both pro-

inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, patients

were asked to rate their pain, fatigue, mood, cognitive function and

sleep quality on a scale of 1 to 10.

Patients in the pain group did not differ in the expression of the

pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2, IL-8 and TNF±, but did have

significantly lower levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4

and IL-10 compared with the healthy control group. The 15 patients in

the additional group showed similar findings, although the difference

in IL-10 between this group and the controls was not statistically

significant.

Etc.

" Once confirmed and validated in further studies, " they conclude,

" cytokine expression patterns may eventually help in supporting the

diagnosis of chronic widespread pain and in guiding the appropriate

treatment approach. "

Article: " Reduced Levels of Antiinflammatory Cytokines in Patients

With Chronic Widespread Pain, " Nurcan Üçeyler, Regine Valenza,

Stock, Schedel, Günter Sprotte, Sommer,

Arthritis & Rheumatism, August 2006; (DOI: 10.1002/art.22026).

[Guest guest]

Some of the best ways to boost your immune system is

to laugh, tell jokes, smile and be happy. You

strengthen you immune system and life is better. Bee

stings and flu shots trigger a immune reaction, plus

immunoglobulin shots seem to work for most people.

Jimd

--- Barb Peck <egroups1bp@...> wrote:

> Yes Kate I did say that- knowing exactly what a true

> immune booster

> is.. that's my point - people say immune booster

> when that's not what

> they mean. They talk about 'boosting the immune

> system " like it's as

> easy as eating a candy bar.. I think that's whta

> Penny means.

>

> A true booster will probably make you sick like an

> interferon

> injection..

>

> Barb

>

>

>

>

> > > Kate.. how were the Immune SYstems boosted? With

> what?

> > That was the German Filgrastim article at

> lymenet.de -- Isabel

> > Diterich, Immunomodulation and new therapeutic

> strategies in Lyme

> > borreliosis, Dissertation (Dr. rer. nat.),

> Universität Konstanz,

> 2003.

> > (im Cache). I think it was you yourself, Barb,

> that called

> Filgrastim

> > an immune booster in your comment.

> >

> > I am puzzled a bit by the article below. These

> patients did better

> > after they received IVIG ( " a novel treatment for

> pain " ), but the

> > authors don't seem to be considering that

> infection could be

> involved

> > at all. Wouldn't the IVIG have boosted their

> immune systems and

> maybe

> > knocked out something? It looks to me like they

> think they are

> just

> > manipulating which cytokines are being produced.

> >

> > - Kate

> >

> >

>

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060726083452.htm

> >

> > Source: Wiley & Sons, Inc.

> > Date: July 26, 2006

> > Lower Levels Of Anti-inflammatory Proteins May

> Contribute To

> Chronic

> > Widespread Pain

> >

> > Science Daily — Chronic widespread pain, a common

> medical

> condition,

> > can be difficult to treat and is often associated

> with fatigue,

> poor

> > sleep and depression. A connection between

> fibromayalgia (FM) and

> > cytokines (proteins that act as messengers between

> cells) was

> > suspected after cancer patients treated with the

> cytokine

> interleukin

> > -2 developed FM-like symptoms. Since then, other

> studies have

> shown

> > contradictory results. A new study published in

> the August 2006

> issue

> > of Arthritis & Rheumatism examined cytokine

> profiles in patients

> with

> > chronic widespread pain and found that they had

> significantly

> lower

> > levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and

> IL-10.

> >

> > Led by Nurcan Üçeyler of Julius-Maximilians

> University in

> Wurzburg,

> > Germany, researchers analyzed cytokines in 40

> patients with

> chronic

> > widespread pain (26 of whom had FM), 40 controls

> and an additional

> > group of 15 patients. The 40 pain patients had

> received

> intravenous

> > immunoglobulin (IVIG) as a novel treatment for

> pain that was not

> > responsive to standard therapy, while the

> additional 15 patients

> did

> > not receive this treatment. Blood samples were

> analyzed for both

> pro-

> > inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. In

> addition,

> patients

> > were asked to rate their pain, fatigue, mood,

> cognitive function

> and

> > sleep quality on a scale of 1 to 10.

> >

> > Patients in the pain group did not differ in the

> expression of the

> > pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2, IL-8 and TNF±,

> but did have

> > significantly lower levels of the

> anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4

> > and IL-10 compared with the healthy control group.

> The 15 patients

> in

> > the additional group showed similar findings,

> although the

> difference

> > in IL-10 between this group and the controls was

> not statistically

> > significant.

> >

> > Etc.

> >

> > " Once confirmed and validated in further studies, "

> they conclude,

> > " cytokine expression patterns may eventually help

> in supporting

> the

> > diagnosis of chronic widespread pain and in

> guiding the

> appropriate

> > treatment approach. "

> >

> > Article: " Reduced Levels of Antiinflammatory

> Cytokines in Patients

> > With Chronic Widespread Pain, " Nurcan Üçeyler,

> Regine Valenza,

> > Stock, Schedel, Günter Sprotte,

> Sommer,

> > Arthritis & Rheumatism, August 2006; (DOI:

> 10.1002/art.22026).

> >

>

>

>

__________________________________________________